Overview
- Karen Newton, 65, says she was shackled, separated from her husband, and held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma for roughly six weeks after being turned back from Canada despite holding a valid U.S. tourist visa.
- She reports being told by detention staff that agents receive a bonus per person detained, a characterization ICE rejects, stating pay and bonuses are not tied to arrest or detention numbers.
- The couple accepted voluntary self-removal with a 10-year bar on reentering the U.S.; coverage cites exit payments in such programs, and Newton says she was released on November 6.
- Her account aligns with reports of other foreign tourists held in 2025, and outlets note expanded ICE resources and a drop in international visitors to the U.S. last year.
- Newton is urging travelers to reconsider trips to the U.S., warning World Cup visitors that they could face detention even when traveling on valid documents.