Fabian Schmidt, a 34-year-old German national with a valid US green card, was detained by immigration officers at Logan Airport in Massachusetts on March 7. According to Newsweek, Mr Schmidt, who has lived in the US since his teenage years and currently resides in New Hampshire, was returning from a trip to Luxembourg.
As per his family, Mr Schmidt was arrested, stripped naked, and subjected to violent interrogation before being transferred to the Donald W. Wyatt detention facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island. His family claims they are unaware of the reasons for his detention, stating that Schmidt’s green card was recently renewed and he has no active court issues.
Notably, Mr Schmidt’s partner had gone to pick him up at the airport but waited four hours before contacting authorities when he failed to appear. The family is seeking answers about his detention and is working to secure his release.
“It was just said that his green card was flagged,” said Astrid Senior, his mother. She said her son was subjected to humiliating and abusive treatment by immigration officials. She alleged that he was “violently interrogated”, forcibly stripped naked, and then subjected to a cold shower.
“He hardly got anything to drink. And then he wasn’t feeling very well and he collapsed,” she said. Ms Senior explained that her son’s green card had been legally reissued in 2023 after he reported losing his previous one. Despite having a valid, newly issued green card, Mr Schmidt’s travel document was flagged when he attempted to reenter the United States.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs Hilton Beckham told Newsweek on Saturday: “If statutes or visa terms are violated, travellers may be subject to detention and removal. Due to federal privacy regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose details about specific cases.”
Mr Schmidt’s detention has ignited widespread outrage and raised concerns about the stringent immigration policies under the Trump administration. This case is the latest in a series of incidents where lawful US residents have been detained at airports, sparking debates about the enforcement and potential misuse of immigration laws.