Cliona Ward Freed After ICE Detention and Legal Victory

Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish-born US green card holder and longtime California resident, was released from an ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington after being held for 17 days due to decades-old drug and traffic convictions expunged at the state level but not federally recognized. Ward was detained upon returning from Ireland, where she had visited her ailing father, and is a caretaker for her chronically ill US-citizen son. Her release followed a successful legal effort to vacate her convictions in a manner recognized by federal authorities, combined with advocacy from her family, union, and supporters. The case underscored the harsh impacts of US immigration policy on legal residents with old convictions and the disconnect between state and federal expungement. Ward expressed both trauma and gratitude after her release, while her family and legal team called for broader reforms. US Congressman Jimmy Panetta highlighted the case as evidence of the need for change in deportation policies.