When arrested, they cannot be held for weeks trying to make them sign paperwork saying they have not been mistreated.
Errors happen, Salty Walty. Wrong is wrong, and it's not specific to the current Administration, Salty Walty.
It should be redressed, and I believe that it almost always is, Salty Walty.
Similar cases of ICE arresting and detaining U.S. citizens for days, weeks, or months—often in harsh conditions, without prompt access to counsel, and despite evidence of citizenship—have been well-documented across previous administrations, including Obama (2009–2017), Trump’s first term (2017–2021), and Biden (2021–2025). These incidents predate the 2025 surge and stem from the same systemic flaws: flawed databases, racial profiling, local jail-ICE data-sharing programs like Secure Communities, and weak internal verification protocols.
Below are verified examples by administration, drawn from court records, GAO reports, investigative journalism, and advocacy documentation.
Obama Administration (2009–2017): This period saw the highest deportation numbers in U.S. history (over 3 million), driven by expanded interior enforcement and programs like Secure Communities, which automatically flagged people in local jails to ICE via fingerprints. A 2011 Northwestern University study estimated 1.6% of ICE detainers (around 5,800 annually) were issued against U.S. citizens. A landmark 2018 ACLU analysis of ICE data found at least 2,000 citizens detained during this era.
- Davino Watson, New York (2011): A U.S. citizen born in Jamaica but naturalized as a child, Watson was detained for 3.5 years after ICE misclassified him as deportable due to a clerical error. Despite his repeated claims and family-provided naturalization certificate, ICE held him in Alabama and Louisiana facilities, transferring him multiple times to thwart legal access. A federal appeals court later ruled ICE violated due process, awarding him $82,500.
- Mark Daniel Lyttle (2009): Lyttle’s 51-day detention and deportation to Mexico occurred after Obama took office. Born in North Carolina with cognitive disabilities, he was held in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas, then flown to Mexico with $3 in his pocket despite no Spanish fluency. The Fourth Circuit Court ruled ICE acted with “deliberate indifference.” The case became a symbol of Obama-era overreach.
- Antonio Montejano, California (2010): A U.S. citizen and Marine Corps veteran was detained for four days in Los Angeles after a traffic stop. Despite showing his military ID, ICE held him in a county jail under a detainer. Released only after media pressure, his case was one of dozens documented by the ACLU in California alone.
Did you complain when Obama's ICE did these things, Salty Walty?
Answer "yes" or "no", Salty Walty.