Cliona Ward, the Irish citizen and US green card holder who has been held in an Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre since returning from a family visit to Ireland, will have a court hearing in Seattle on Wednesday morning.
Family members, work colleagues and friends of Ms Ward will gather in solidarity with community and labour allies of hers outside the Northwest Detention Centre in Tacoma, Washington State, before the hearing, which is scheduled for 8.30am local time.
Ms Ward (54) was transferred to the private detention facility after returning to San Francisco following a visit to see her gravely ill father in Cork in April.
She was arrested after reporting, as requested, to an immigration facility with documents proving that records for decades-old drug and motor vehicle convictions had been expunged.
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However, she was informed that those expungements, while valid at state level, did not apply at federal level.
Ms Ward moved to California at the age of 12 and has made numerous trips abroad since without any issue.
Providing an update for the case in Washington, DC, on Tuesday afternoon, Democratic congressman for California’s 19th district, Jimmy Panetta, revealed Ms Ward’s Santa Cruz-based attorney, Michael Mehr, has successfully petitioned the district court to throw the old charges out as his client had not been informed of the consequences in relation to immigration and travel.
“So now the prosecution, or the government’s, case against Cliona Ward, really there is nothing to bear,” Mr Panetta said.
“All they were using against her are those three convictions for drug possession that are now no longer applicable. I also want to give credit to district attorney Jeff Rosell, who said: ‘we are not going to refile that case’, as well.
“So going into tomorrow’s hearing, she has been afforded due process so far. She will continue to have due process from the top down and bottom up. Now it is time for the judge there in Seattle to use his or her discretion showing that basically this is the type of Irish immigrant who has been part of our community, has worked hard to contribute to our community and now should stay in our country because of the good things she has done.”
Immediately after Ms Ward’s detention, a Gofundme page was established to help with her case by her sister, Orla Holladay, and other family members.
Her family had learned that after her arrest, Ms Ward was flown to Washington State, and had been immediately shackled and led through the airport after alighting the plane.
Her family have described her successful attempt to turn her life around since those convictions. She is now working for a not-for-profit community organisation as well as caring for a son who is dependent on her.
Mr Panetta said that efforts have been made to intercede on her behalf “from the top down and bottom up”.
“We’re banging on the White House, we have been working with them, we are talking with leadership over in Ireland as well. Basically, I have spoken with ICE and the detention lead over there in Seattle.”
The case has been widely publicised as an example of the indiscriminate scrutiny applied at federal level for prior drugs convictions.
Ms Ward’s hearing comes up in the midst of the intense scrutiny on the new severity of the immigration and deportation enforcements under the Trump administration.
Ms Ward will be represented by attorney Erin T Hall, of the Global Justice Law Group, a consortium of legal professionals that helps immigrants through legal cases.
