More Irish citizens are being deported from the United States than at any time in recent years.
The spike is raising alarm among immigration lawyers and families alike.
Between January and September 2025, 99 Irish nationals were deported.
That’s a jump of more than 50% compared to the previous year, according to figures seen by BBC News NI.
The increase, experts say, coincides with tougher immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.
“The biggest change? “We’re now seeing people with no criminal records getting detained,” said US immigration attorney Claire Doutre.
Visa Crackdown Fallout
“Many of them entered lawfully but overstayed their visas.” Her advice: “Everybody is at risk right now.”
Among those caught up in the crackdown is Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen who’s lived in the US since childhood.
She’s now facing deportation over two bad cheques written more than a decade ago — $49 and $22.
Her husband, US Navy veteran Jim Brown, calls it “insane.”
“She was just trying to survive,” he said, describing dire conditions in the detention facility where his wife’s been held for 90 days.
ICE insists it’s targeting those who “pose a threat to public safety,” but for many long-time residents, that reassurance rings hollow.
After all — who decides what makes someone a threat?
