A Beccles mother has spoken out after US immigration officers kept her daughter at a detention centre for six days.
Jules Peters is a 55-year-old content creator from Suffolk.
She has used her platform to share that her daughter, Katie Paul, 33, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers for almost a week in the run-up to Thanksgiving.
Mrs Paul travelled to the States in September 2024 to be with her long-distance partner Stephen, who is originally from San Diego.
They got married the following month and soon discovered they were expecting their first child.
Mrs Paul had initially planned to return to the UK until her green card - also known as a permanent resident card - was approved, but she found out her pregnancy was high-risk and felt it was best not to travel back and forth.
Last Thursday, she visited the San Diego U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office for her green card interview.
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ICE agents came into the building and arrested her while she had her six-month-old son in her arms before taking her to a detention centre.
Ms Peters said her daughter was "in complete shock" at the ordeal and nobody could believe what was happening to her.
After six long days, she was finally released and given the green card she needed.
"We are so relieved she is home," Ms Peters said.
"It was great to speak to her, Stephen and the baby on a video call. I’m hoping to fly out next week to hug them all."
In a statement to NBC San Diego, ICE said that the agency “is committed to enforcing federal immigration laws through targeted operations that prioritise national security, public safety, and border security".
It said: “Individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including those out of status at federal sites such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and removal in accordance with U.S. immigration law."
