ICE arrests British woman holding newborn son in California

A British mother was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers after overstaying her visa in California.

Katie Paul, 33, was detained in San Diego in front of her husband and six-month-old son.

He had arrived at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office for a routine green card appointment, hoping to complete paperwork for permanent residence.

But instead, he found himself in the middle of an immigration raid when ICE agents handcuffed him and arrested him at the scene.

She was taken into federal custody as her stunned American husband watched.

“We see ICE agents coming and they say they arrested Katie,” said her husband, Stephen Paul, also 33. NBCHe describes the incident that sent shockwaves through the family.

‘He was just stunned. He kept asking what the problem was, what we were doing. ‘We had done everything right.’

ICE confirmed his detention in a written statement.

‘Persons who are in the United States illegally, including those who are out of status in federal territories such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and deportation under U.S. immigration law.’

Stephen Paul, 33, had to stop working to look after baby Alan while his wife was in custody

The couple acknowledges that Katie overstayed her visa, but the pair emphasized that immigration lawyers say such violations are routinely forgiven when applying for a spouse’s green card.

Following this incident, ICE intervened in the appointment and took Katie directly into federal custody.

Stephen said the incident happened without any warning or explanation.

‘We kept asking them if there was anything we could do, if there was any way to stop him from leaving the family,’ she said.

But the officers would just say: ‘I’m sorry. ‘We tried not to have to do that, but we got direct orders.’

The arrest comes as the Trump administration expands second-term immigration sweeps to more cities, including Charlotte, North Carolina.

ICE said its operations were ‘targeted’ and focused on ‘national security, public safety and border security.’

The couple’s six-month-old son Alan has been living without his mother since his arrest.

‘I had to take my baby, our baby, from his crying mother’s arms,’ Stephen said. ‘It took us almost three hours to get to him because we had to fight just to find out where to go, to want to see him.

Katie became pregnant during a trip to the USA. Because her pregnancy was considered high risk, the couple remained in the United States with medical approval while they began the green card process.

Even though her visa had expired, Katy was told during the green card application process that this would probably not be a problem.

‘No one wants this. “No one wants to see families torn apart,” Stephen added, referring to his young son. ‘You can’t look at him and think it’s okay to take him away from his mother.’

The arrest comes as the Trump administration expands second-term immigration sweeps to more cities, including Charlotte, North Carolina

‘My baby has no mother to hold him. “I can’t work right now because I have to take care of him,” she explained.

‘I can’t ask my parents to look after her because I’m afraid if I don’t have someone to look after her I’ll be distracted worrying about Katie.’

Stephen finally reached him by phone. ‘ He said he was afraid. She was worried and missed her baby. “He just wants to come home,” he said.

Even ICE personnel at the holding facility questioned the operation, according to the family.

Katie said agents at the detention center told her “that’s not the type of person we should be arresting.”

In September 2024, the new mother traveled from Surrey, England, to California to visit her then-long-distance partner, Stephen.

Weeks later, the pair married after learning Katie was pregnant.

Because the pregnancy was high-risk, the couple remained in the United States with medical approval while they began the green card process.

Katy’s mother, Jules Peters, 55, said her daughter appeared exhausted and overwhelmed when she met in person from the detention center.

Family hopes Katy will be released by Thanksgiving

Federal agents arrested a man during an immigration enforcement operation in a Florida parking lot earlier this month

Her mother, Jules Peters, 55, said she was caught off guard when her daughter sent a frantic text: ‘Mom, ICE is going to detain me.’

‘We are completely torn apart,’ said Jules from the UK. ‘Katie is in shock; He can’t even believe this is happening to him. ‘She loves living in the USA…she just wants to live with her husband and baby.’

Jules said her daughter was Facetiming from the detention center, looking exhausted and overwhelmed.

‘He has anxiety and feels really bad; she just wants to be with her husband and baby.’

The family hopes to have him released by Thanksgiving.

‘No one wants this. ‘No one wants to see families torn apart,’ Stephen added. ‘You can’t look at him and think it’s okay to take him from his mother.’