logo
Germany investigates after national with green card arrested at US border

Germany investigates after national with green card arrested at US border

The Guardian18-03-2025

Berlin is investigating whether US immigration policy has changed, after a German national who is a permanent US resident was detained and 'violently interrogated' by US border officials.
Fabian Schmidt, 34, is being held at a detention centre in Rhode Island after attempting to return to his home in New Hampshire after a trip to Luxembourg.
His mother, Astrid Senior, told the Boston-headquartered public broadcaster WGBH news that her son had been 'violently interrogated' at Boston's Logan airport for hours, stripped naked and put in a cold shower by two officials.
A German government spokesperson told Euronews it was aware of the case and those of two other German citizens who were detained when attempting to enter the US and who have subsequently returned to Germany.
'We have recently become aware of three cases in which German citizens were unable to enter the USA and were detained for deportation when they entered the country,' the spokesperson, Sebastian Fischer, said.
Two of the three cases had been resolved, Fischer said, adding that the German government was 'monitoring the situation' and liaising with other EU countries to assess if these were isolated cases or representative of 'a change in American immigration policy'.
Senior told the US broadcaster that immigration agents had put pressure on her son to give up his green card. He had been placed on a mat in a bright room at the airport with little food or water, and denied access to his medication for anxiety and depression.
Schmidt, an electrical engineer, had been returning to the US on 7 March. His mother did not hear from him until 11 March, when he was transferred to hospital after collapsing.
She told NBC news she had no idea why her son had been detained, saying: 'I feel helpless, absolutely helpless.'
Schmidt and his mother moved to the US from Germany in 2007 and got permanent resident cards the following year. He renewed his legal permanent residence status last year and has no active legal issues, his mother said, although she added that he had faced misdemeanour charges about 10 years ago.
The US Customs and Border Protection service told US media the claims about his case were 'blatantly false', without saying which points it disputed. The Guardian has contacted the service for comment.
The German foreign ministry said its consulate in Boston was providing support.
'It is clear that we expect from our partners, as well as from all other countries in the world, that prison conditions comply with international human rights standards and that detainees are treated accordingly,' Fischer said.
The case is the latest of a foreign-born national being detained and allegedly held in brutal conditions by US border agents, after Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration.
Sign up to First Thing
Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters
after newsletter promotion
The two other German nationals affected were Jessica Brösche, a 29-year-old tattoo artist from Berlin, and Lucas Sielaff, 25, from Saxony-Anhalt. Both had valid tourist visas for the US and have now returned to Germany.
According to Sielaff's fiancee, Lennon Tyler, he was detained for two weeks after incorrectly answering a question about where he lived owing to his poor grasp of English. Sielaff had said Las Vegas, where he was staying with Tyler, when he should have said Germany, where he permanently resides, she said.
Brösche – who was travelling with tattoo equipment – was detained for more than six weeks, including nine days in solitary confinement, her friends said – a claim the company that owns the detention centre denies.
Meanwhile, a Canadian actor said she was detained for nearly two weeks in 'inhuman conditions' over an incomplete visa, after attempting to cross the border at Mexico-Arizona. Jasmine Mooney was held in a single concrete cell with no natural light, fluorescent lights that were never turned off, with no blankets and limited bathroom facilities, her mother said.
And a British woman was detained in 'horrendous conditions' for three weeks, her family said, after a visa mix-up.
Rebecca Burke is now reportedly home in the UK. She was arrested by US border officials after attempting to cross into Canada and being sent back to the US.
She had been planning to stay with a host family in Canada, where she would carry out domestic chores in exchange for accommodation, but was told by the Canadians she should have applied for a working visa instead of a tourist visa.
Burke had previously stayed with a host family in Portland, Oregon under a similar arrangement after spending time sightseeing in New York City, where she arrived from the UK at the start of the year.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Madeleine McCann cops probe ‘gun found during Praia search' after Brueckner had owned pistols
Madeleine McCann cops probe ‘gun found during Praia search' after Brueckner had owned pistols

Scottish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Madeleine McCann cops probe ‘gun found during Praia search' after Brueckner had owned pistols

Prime suspect Christian Brueckner is said to have carried a gun during his time in the Algarve 'GUN FIND' Madeleine McCann cops probe 'gun found during Praia search' after Brueckner had owned pistols MADELEINE McCann cops were investigating two objects uncovered during their search described by local media as 'guns'. Portuguese daily newspaper Correio da Manha reported two firearms had been found in the area of scrubland above Praia da Luz, searched last week. Advertisement 6 Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007, while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz in Portugal 6 Christian Brueckner is believed to be the lead suspect in the girl's disappearance 6 Two firearms had been found in the area of scrubland above Praia da Luz Credit: Dan Charity One of the handguns was dismissed as 'irrelevant' to the McCann investigation and linked to another probe. The other weapon, found in a well, was said to be more modern. Both were described as rusty and historic with cops expecting neither to hold Maddie links. Watch The Sun's exclusive documentary on the Maddie case here However, prime suspect Christian Brueckner, 48, is said to have carried a gun during his time in the Algarve. Advertisement A Sun investigation revealed he previously owned two antique pistols. A Portuguese investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the gun reports: 'The objects found are very old and very rusty. 'I'd describe them almost as archeological artefacts.' Another well-placed insider added: 'One has already been ruled out as having any connection to the Maddie inquiry. Advertisement 'A separate investigation is underway to try to establish how it ended up where it did and what exactly it is.' Reports claimed all the objects and samples taken from the search were set to be tested in Portuguese capital Lisbon. Madeleine McCann cops probe samples of 'clothes & bones found in new Praia da Luz dig' for links to suspect Brueckner Sources in Germany said anything of value would be retained by German investigation leads. Luis Neves, the National Director of the Policia Judiciaria police force insisted last Friday the searches had 'not been in vain' despite the apparent lack of results. Advertisement This comes just hours after it was reported cops sent samples from their search in Portugal for testing. The three-day search had widely been labeled a flop after police appeared to leave the site next to Praia da Luz empty-handed last week. TIMELINE OF EVENTS HERE'S a timeline of the case which has gripped the world. May 3, 2007 Madeleine McCann disappears from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, Portugal, sparking a massive police search and becoming one of the most famous missing persons cases in history. January 15, 2016 Neighbour reports a possible 'grave' at Brueckner's abandoned factory in East Germany. Cops find disturbing images on USB sticks and launch a full-scale search. February 16, 2016 Christian Brueckner is convicted for abusing a girl of five in a park after images found on his laptop. He was sentenced to 15-months behind bars but was already on the run by then. May 3, 2017 Around this time, Helge B calls an information hotline after watching a ten-year anniversary special on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. He reports an alleged confession by Christian Brueckner. September 27, 2018 On-the-run Christian Brueckner is arrested over outstanding drugs claims in Italy. He is extradited to Germany the following year. December 16, 2019 Christian Brueckner was convicted, in Germany, for the 2005 rape of an American woman in Praia da Luz, Portugal, after his DNA was matched to a hair found on her bed. He was sentenced to seven years behind bars. June 4, 2020 German prosecutors reveal to the world they have a suspect in custody under investigation for the abduction of Madeleine McCann. For the first time they claim Madeleine is dead. German media later name him as Christian B (Christian Brueckner). June 23, 2023 In his first interview, witness Helge B alleges to German newspaper Bild that Christian Brueckner all-but-confessed the Madeleine abduction to him, by allegedly saying 'she didn't scream' as they talked about the case, at a music festival, in Spain. February 16, 2024 Brueckner goes on trial accused of none-McCann allegations of rape and sex assault, in Braunschweig, Germany. Prosecutors hope for a conviction to keep him behind bars permanently and lead to McCann charges. October 8, 2024 Brueckner was acquitted of all claims. Prosecutors launch an appeal, however. Decision pending. September 17, 2025 Date on which Christian Brueckner will be released from custody without action being taken. Prosecutors require an arrest warrant for a retrial over claims from last year - or over the McCann case. But eagle-eyed police did find tiny fragments, which they are speculating could have links to Maddie after prime suspect Brueckner wild camped at the site. The samples were sent to Germany for testing amid hopes they could finally reveal the forensic link cops are missing on the case. Advertisement Cops are understood to have found clothes and animal bones during the extensive search through an area known as Brueckner's "rat run". Without evidence pinning it to the convicted German rapist, prosecutors risk not being able to get the arrest warrant they need to keep Brueckner behind bars. The claims were made in the Berlin Morning Post. A source said: 'Several objects have apparently been discovered, which are now being examined in more detail by the police in the laboratory. Advertisement 'As Portuguese media report, clothing debris and bones were found, among other things. 'The investigators have not officially commented on whether the finds could have anything to do with Madeleine's disappearance but that is clearly their hope.' 6 One weapon, found in a well, was said to be more modern Credit: Dan Charity 6 Police have been searching various sites in and around the resort of Pria du Luz Credit: Dan Charity Advertisement

Boston lawyer sobs as she tells court how fireman visiting from Ireland raped her after boozy St Patrick's Day
Boston lawyer sobs as she tells court how fireman visiting from Ireland raped her after boozy St Patrick's Day

Daily Mail​

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

Boston lawyer sobs as she tells court how fireman visiting from Ireland raped her after boozy St Patrick's Day

A woman broke down in tears as she told a Boston court how a married Irish firefighter allegedly raped her while she slept in a hotel room after St Patrick's Day celebrations. The 29-year-old lawyer wept in Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday as she recalled the evening she woke up to a man 'inside of her' at Boston's luxury Omni Parker House hotel on March 14, 2024. Terence E Crosbie, 38, from Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape over the alleged incident. He has been behind bars since his arrest last year. The defendant was in the city as part of the Dublin Fire Brigade delegation for the St Patrick's Day parade when he is alleged to have carried out what prosecutors called a 'nightmare' attack on the sleeping woman. The woman, whose identity is being kept anonymous, became emotional in court as she read out a text message she sent to a friend just hours after the alleged attack, according to a report by the Boston Globe. 'I woke up and a guy was inside of me,' the message read. The victim continued to fight back tears as she described the allegations, including the moment she says she woke up to find Crosbie assaulting her. He is accused of saying: 'This guy is sleeping. I know you want this.' She told police she screamed at her attacker: 'What are you doing? Stop', according to court documents. The woman became emotional when she was shown photographs of the hotel room and security footage of herself leaving. She told the court how she spent March 14 bar hopping around Boston, starting with a work party at Big Night Live at 1:45pm before moving to State Street Provisions restaurant and finally The Black Rose pub around 9pm. She admitted to drinking five or six beers throughout the day but insisted she was 'totally coherent' and although it made her 'looser' the alcohol had no 'negative impact' on her judgment. She met a man named Liam O'Brien, a member of the Irish Fire Brigade, at The Black Rose. After hours of talking and dancing she went back to his hotel room at around 11:30pm. She thought he was staying alone and did not know Crosbie was also staying there, she said. The woman told the court she had consensual sex with O'Brien before falling asleep on a separate bed in the shared hotel room. Prosecutor Daniela Mendes told jurors that Crosbie returned to find the woman 'vulnerable and defenseless' and 'saw an opportunity and took full, violent advantage of it.' The woman testified that after the alleged rape Crosbie followed her around the hotel room trying to kiss her and pushed her against the wall as she tried to collect her clothes to flee. 'I just wanted to get out of there,' she sobbed when asked why she didn't cry for help. 'I didn't know anyone. I just wanted to get out.' Crosbie's defense team claims their client is innocent and argued there is a lack of DNA evidence linking him to the alleged crime. The victim fought back tears as she described the horrifying moment she woke up to find Crosbie (pictured in court) allegedly assaulting her Defense attorney Daniel C Reilly grilled the woman about what he said were inconsistencies in her testimony. Some of his questions included whether the bathroom light was on during the alleged assault and what exactly Crosbie said to her, the Globe reported. 'It's fair to say your testimony from yesterday doesn't match what you first told the detective,' Reilly said to which the woman replied, admitting: 'Yes.' When she reported the assault at Massachusetts General Hospital hours later her blood alcohol level was .135, well above the legal driving limit of 0.08. When asked if she was still impaired at the time, she replied: 'I guess.' But nurse Carly Littlejohn who testified Tuesday said that the woman was medically cleared to undergo evidence collection, which means she was sober enough to give proper consent for the procedure. Crosbie had a history of disturbing social media posts, including one where he said he wanted to visit Europe's 'most underreported rape capital' and another where he said he would 'rupture his wife's cervix.' Back in 2017 Crosbie wrote about wanting to visit Amsterdam and see a soccer game before adding a questionable comment The Irish fireman is accused of raping a woman in Boston has a history of disturbing posts, including one where he shared his desire to 'rupture his wife's cervix' Back in 2017, Crosbie wrote about wanting to visit Amsterdam and see a soccer game before adding a questionable comment. 'Ajax away be a descent trip,' he wrote on X. '6ft blondes & most unreported rape capital of Europe sure even if it's Vigo vs Lyon be worth a trip.' More recently, on October 10, 2021, he had a NSFW birthday message for his wife of nine years. 'Happy Birthday babe,' Crosbie wrote on X. 'I will rupture your cervix later.'

Madeleine McCann search ends as new evidence is sent off for analysis
Madeleine McCann search ends as new evidence is sent off for analysis

ITV News

time6 hours ago

  • ITV News

Madeleine McCann search ends as new evidence is sent off for analysis

The latest searches in connection with the disappearance of Madeleine McCann concluded as planned, German prosecutors have said. Head prosecutor in Braunschweig, Hans Christian Wolters, said the co-operation between the Portuguese and German authorities during the operation was 'very constructive'. His words came after The Sun newspaper reported that samples had been taken from last week's searches after claims that bones and clothing fibres were found. The newspaper reported that the bones were initially deemed to be animal remains but have been retained by prosecutors to be forensically examined. The latest hunt for evidence came 18 years after three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz while on holiday with her family in 2007. She was left sleeping by her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and vanished as they went for dinner in a nearby restaurant. Search teams concluded their operation in neighbouring Atalaia, near the city of Lagos, after three days of scouring scrubland and abandoned structures. German prosecutors requested the search as part of their continued attempts to source evidence to implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner. He is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005 and is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. According to reports, Brueckner sent a letter to police saying 'decisive questions can never be answered'. Another letter shows the suspect telling Mr Wolters that 'the investigation will be dropped', The Sun reported. In October last year, he was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store