Kenyan Woman Detained by ICE After Routine Immigration Check-In

A Kenyan woman who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 18 June after attending a routine immigration check-in she had complied with for more than 14 years.

Joyce Basele, 64, was taken into custody during her scheduled appointment with federal immigration authorities. She had regularly reported to ICE under the terms of an Order of Supervision, which allowed her to remain in the country despite a final order of removal.

Basele entered the United States legally in 2005 with her then-husband, who held a temporary religious worker visa. After their divorce in 2009, she lost her dependent immigration status and became subject to removal proceedings. She later applied for protection under withholding of removal and the Convention Against Torture.

Although an immigration judge found her testimony credible, the application was denied in 2011. An appeal was dismissed the following year, leaving her with a final order of removal.

Instead of removing her from the country, the Department of Homeland Security placed her under an Order of Supervision. The arrangement required her to report regularly to immigration authorities, a condition she met for more than a decade. During that time, she remained employed, paid taxes and had no criminal record.

Supporters say she spent many years caring for children and older people. Her immigration case changed in 2018 when her US citizen daughter successfully filed an immigrant visa petition on her behalf. Her lawyers argue that this gives her a potential route to permanent residency and are seeking to reopen her case. 

They have also applied for a Stay of Removal and asked ICE to release her while her legal proceedings continue. Her legal team says her earlier case was affected by poor legal representation, alleging that a previous lawyer failed to submit important documents. 

They argue that her current lawyers are better placed to present her case and are seeking a fresh review of her immigration status. Her family has also started a fundraising campaign to help cover the cost of ongoing legal fees.