An Irish-born grandmother who has lived in the United States for nearly five decades remains in federal custody as she fights deportation proceedings related to two minor offenses committed more than a decade ago.
Donna Hughes-Brown, 58, has been detained at the Campbell County Detention Center in Kentucky since late July, after being stopped by immigration officials at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. She and her husband, Jim Brown, a U.S. Navy veteran, were returning to their home in Troy, Missouri, following a family visit to Ireland when Hughes-Brown was detained. Although she has held lawful permanent residency since childhood, she is not a U.S. citizen, a fact that has left her vulnerable under recent changes to immigration law.
Hughes-Brown’s detention stems from two misdemeanor charges involving small checks written about 10 and 13 years ago, totaling less than $65. The offenses, both classified as check fraud, were resolved years ago with restitution and probation. However, immigration officials have cited them as “crimes of moral turpitude,” a term used in immigration law to describe conduct deemed contrary to moral standards.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Hughes-Brown was referred for secondary inspection at O’Hare due to her prior record, which they claim includes two convictions for writing bad checks. She was arrested after the review and placed in removal proceedings. Her husband disputes the government’s interpretation, describing the checks as small transactions during a financially difficult time. He maintains that his wife has lived an otherwise law-abiding and community-focused life.
The couple’s case has gained attention partly because of an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act, enacted on July 4 as part of the Trump Administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The change, which took effect July 24 while the couple was abroad, allows for the denial of re-entry to any foreign-born resident with a violation committed in the past 20 years. Hughes-Brown’s detention appears to be one of the first applications of the new policy, which has faced criticism for its broad reach.
Supporters of Hughes-Brown, including local residents and immigrant advocacy groups, have emphasized her decades-long ties to the United States. Having moved from Ireland at age 11, she built her life in Missouri, raising three children and five grandchildren. Friends and neighbors describe her as active in community volunteer work, including disaster relief efforts for tornado and hurricane victims.
Her husband has continued to manage their small horse farm while coordinating legal appeals and public outreach. He has described the conditions in the detention center as harsh, citing unclean facilities and limited medical care. The family’s legal team is pursuing a habeas corpus petition challenging the legality of her detention, as well as a bond appeal that could allow her temporary release before her next hearing.
Hughes-Brown’s deportation hearing, initially scheduled for September, was postponed twice and is now set for December 18. She has already spent more than three months in custody. The family hopes that her history of community service, along with the minor nature of her offenses, will persuade immigration authorities to allow her to remain in the country she has called home for nearly 50 years.
Her case has drawn comparisons to other longtime residents facing deportation under similar provisions, reigniting debate about how strictly immigration laws should be applied to non-citizens with long-standing ties to the United States. For now, Hughes-Brown remains detained, awaiting a decision that could determine whether she will be sent back to Ireland after a lifetime in America.
Sources: WWNY, FOX 19 NOW, Irish Times (1), Irish Times (2)
