Two young Waterford men have returned to Ireland after being released by US immigration officials following eight weeks in detention when they overstayed their holiday visas.
Mr Alan Whelan and his cousin, Mr Cliff Whelan, both aged 23, from Waterford city paid tribute to the local Fine Gael TD, Mr John Deasy, as well as the media for their role in highlighting their plight after they were arrested while travelling in Montana.
The two had gone to the US on three-month holiday visas but decided to travel across the States after their visas expired as they had been assured by Irish people in Boston that there shouldn't be any problem. "We were going by train to Seattle, but the Irish in Boston said that even though it would be close to the border with Canada, they didn't think there would be trouble and the border guards never get on the train," said Alan.
"When we were on the train, the border guards came on and asked if we were citizens. I thought that if I was honest, they'd let us through, and I said we weren't.
"He asked for our passports, and then they took us off the train and into jail. Being in jail and in the detention centres was a nightmare.
"We were transported from one to another and had to spend 15 hours in a bus, handcuffed, and then 30 of us had to sleep on the PE floor. The next day we were all put on a plane, with 50 US marshals pointing guns," he said.