Fabian Schmidt, a green card holder who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after reentering the country in March, was released Thursday, according to a social media post by his partner, Bhavani Hodgkins.
Hodgkins declined to comment to Newsweek on Friday. Newsweek has reached out to Schmidt’s attorney David Keller and ICE via email for comment for Friday.
Why It Matters
Schmidt’s arrest and subsequent two-months long detention came amid an immigration crackdown under the Trump administration, during which people with valid documentation—including green cards or visas—have been detained and face legal jeopardy.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) says that a green card holder has the right to live permanently in the U.S. provided they do not commit any actions that “would make you removable under immigration law.” This includes breaking laws and not filing taxes.
President Donald Trump vowed to prevent illegal immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from entering and staying in the U.S. He has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, with his administration detaining and deporting thousands of people in recent months. Some of those who have been detained have been green card holders.
What To Know
“FABIAN IS FREE and HOME!!!!” Hodgkins posted on Facebook on Thursday. The post asked for patience and privacy on the matter and was signed by Schmidt and Hodges, who say they are “OVERWHELMED with love!”
She added a Facebook story video of Schmidt smiling while reuniting with his dog.
Thursday’s announcement comes two months after Schmidt was detained at Boston Logan Airport after returning from Luxembourg. The New Hampshire resident and electrical engineer has had held a green card since 2008 after moving to the U.S. from Germany in 2007. After being held in March, he was then transported and detained in Rhode Island for two months.
At the time, his mother, Astrid Senior, said her son was stripped naked and “violently interrogated.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs Hilton Beckham told Newsweek in March, “These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP.” He went on to suggest the incident may be related to drug charges, saying, “When an individual is found with drug related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action.”
Although Schmidt has no ongoing legal issues, according to his family, he previously had a misdemeanor charge for having marijuana in his vehicle in 2015. That charge was dismissed after laws about cannabis changed. His mother said he missed a hearing about the case in 2022 because the notice was not forwarded to his correct address. He also had a DUI about a decade ago.
“If statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and removal. Due to federal privacy regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose details about specific cases,” Beckham previously told Newsweek.
The day ahead of his release, on May 7, Hodgkins posted online a ledger of commissary expenses for Schmidt which featured $2,674 worth of “basic necessities like food, clothing, and tablet access.” Over $34,000 have been raised for his legal fees, according to an online GoFundMe fundraiser.
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer/GoFundMe
What People Are Saying
Amanda Ng, an attorney with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said about another case of a detained green card holder, Sergey Kostenyuk: “The bigger picture here is that, with these new arrest quotas, it’s kind of indiscriminate. I think Sergey was fortunate to get out, but there are many people who are still in detention and shouldn’t be.”
Michael Mehr, an attorney for Cliona Ward, a green card holder who was detained for two weeks, told Newsweek on Thursday: “This is an example of the overreach of the new Trump deportation plan which sweeps up even lawful permanent residents like Cliona Ward. She was not a danger to anyone. She was, in fact, the primary care-giver for her chronically ill son and a long time and valued employee at a Christian conference center. She had resided in the U.S. since she was 12 years old…The only thing Trump’s administration did with this escapade was to tarnish our image abroad and at home.”
Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin previously told Newsweek: “The Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws—something the previous administration failed to do. Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained and removed as required.”
What Happens Next
There have been several incidents of green card holders being released from detention, including Cliona Ward, who was released on Wednesday after two weeks in ICE detention and Sergey Kostenyuk, who was released on April 23.
Many have raised concerns about the Trump administration’s detention and deportation practices, saying the process often lacks due process protections for individuals. Supporters say the crackdown is necessary to deter illegal immigration and remove criminals.