Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CLIONA WARD, AN Irish woman who was detained by US officials last month at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre, is due to be released following her preliminary hearing in Washington this morning.
Her release was confirmed by local government representatives and members of Ward’s family after her court appearance.
Ward, who has been a legal resident of Santa Cruz, California for 30 years, was detained by ICE in April after returning from a trip to Ireland to visit her sick father.
Upon arrival at San Francisco airport, she was transferred to a private detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.
She was taken into custody after complying with a request to report to an immigration facility, where she presented documents showing that her decades-old drug and motor vehicle convictions had been expunged.
However, she was informed that while the expungements were recognised under state law, they were not valid under federal law.
Ward, who moved to California at age 12, has traveled abroad multiple times over the years without incident.
In a statement on social media, California Representative and Democrat Jimmy Panetta said that Cliona “will soon return to our community thanks to all who helped afford her due process.”
“We just got news that she’s going to be released in the next few hours,” Panetta added, praising the judge in the Seattle courtroom for having “done the right thing.”
“We fought for Cliona from the top down and the bottom up. I pressured officials from the White House to the Irish government. We worked with her exceptional legal team from Seattle to Santa Cruz. And we coordinated with community advocates and her family,” he said.
“We fought to make sure that all of the facts about Cliona and her case were presented so that the court could use its full discretion and do the right thing.”
Friends, family, and union supporters gathered for an early morning rally held an hour before Cliona’s hearing today.
Her sister, Tracey Ward, told RTÉ’s Prime Time that news of the release was a “huge, huge relief.”
“I was trying to maintain hope today, but I know how the system works over there, so I was very fearful for her. I’m just completely relieved,” she said.
“The outpouring of love worldwide that we’ve received has been absolutely unbelievable.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
In other good news, National Party mini-Hitler Justin Barrett is in hospital after a heart attack. I expect he will he most grateful for the excellent care he receives from non-national healthcare workers. Perhaps he will have a change of heart. He needs it.
@Wendy Arbour aka Luas Vuitton – Dub Drag Queen: He may need an actual change in his heart!
Shame on the dopes on here last week calling for her head on a spike. Ignore the trolls on here
@Jb Walshe: Most people have the common sense needed to ignore the silly trolls… There’s only one or two of them, with multiple accounts so it seems like their ‘opinions’ are more popular than they really are… Ultimately, they’re wasting their lives by spending all of their time on sites like this, trying to be yellow-pack ‘influencers’
@john doe: I think you need to look up “expunged” in the dictionary.
@john doe: Are you American ‘john’ ?
@john doe: If there was an Internet Licence, similar to a drivers licence, which only allowed people to comment under their true identity, you’d have racked up enough penalty points for a lethal injection at this stage… Keyboard warriors wilt when exposed to the sun
@john doe: crimes or offenses, there is peremption usually.
was that not a very long time ago ?
@john doe: As I thought… A man of extremely limited intelligence
@Trevor McCormack: Just mute him, and all the other mup pets. The journals comments section needs self-regulation, seemingly…
@john doe: you are having a fight online, you are the loser. Also a click-bait The Journal employee. L O S E R.
Interdepartmental communication failure, or just another cock up compliments of ICE…… They seem lacking in the training department.
@Alan Ball: fault lies in her old records not being expunged.
@Kieran Menon: typically does after 5 years for minor offences…
Be nice if there was an edit button… :|
@john doe: “out” to where? I think we’re better off without her.
FANTASTIC NEWS!!!
Well done to all involved, this side of the ‘ pond’ & Stateside. People power in action…….. Hopefully Cliona can get back to looking after her son ASAP.
@Mary Linton: hypocrite alert! – you, on your Mary Linton account, were extolling the virtues of Trumps immigration policy the other day, specifically the absence of due process, saying it was a small price to pay.
@Kev Kerr: BOB has so many accounts he does not remember which on he is signed into.
Indeed… Very happy with the outcome. Being detained us a horrible thing, I’m sure. The support was brilliant… The money raised was outstanding. However, I question how much the colour of her skin bear upon the outcome?
@john doe: ah, sorry. My bad. I replied to your comment above, apologies. I didn’t realise you’re a massive racist. I wouldn’t have wasted my time.
@john doe: LOL
@john doe: not anyone John, you’re special.
But all Irish emigrants were well educated and never caused trouble
@John O Reilly: said no one ever
@Paul C: say the far right
@John O Reilly: this case with Cliona Ward was a bit of a pickle for racist trump supporters. ‘Irish immigrants never cause trouble like the immigrants that come to Ireland’ vs ‘trump never makes mistakes’
I do feel bad for her,imagine living all them years in a country to be treated as an immigrant.on a side note no mention on all these immigrants raping stalking and knifing our people
@Altoir: All those incidents? Amazing how according to the far right our cities are war zones yet at least here in Limerick any trouble i see its always home grown trouble makers
@FoxyBoiiYT: is limerick a city?
@Altoir: no it’s a dump. And in certain areas a dangerous one
@FoxyBoiiYT: Ah your from stab city makes sense
Boycott the Eurovision because that will definitely end the war
@Ciaran Mcguinness: if Hamas could sing a song what would it be? No water no food plenty of rockets,please help us we are hungry and hiding in places where children are vulnerable etc
@john doe: Let the bulldozers roll time to completely wipe it off the face of the earth.
Not sure about going to that place it’s like Russia now
have your say