A Philly man is deported to London. He was arrested by ICE last month while attempting to fly home from a business trip.
His wife said he was deported days before a scheduled Oct. 8 bond hearing that they had hoped would free him from detention
A Philadelphia man who thought he was waiting for approval of a green card was deported to London on Wednesday night, his wife said, removed a month after being arrested by ICE at a California airport.
Michael “Sandy” Sims, 42, had flown to California in September for what was supposed to be a short business trip, but was stopped outside the San Jose airport when he arrived to fly back to Philadelphia. He was held at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Bakersfield, Calif.
His wife, Jennifer Sims, 46, an American citizen, said Thursday that she had spoken to her husband, who was safe and in England. He was deported days before a scheduled Oct. 8 bond hearing that the couple had hoped would free him from detention.
Jennifer Sims said she and her husband were now trying to figure out the next steps for their future.
The Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that Sims was “a criminal illegal alien” who on Wednesday was lawfully deported to the United Kingdom.
“This administration will not ignore the rule of law,” the department said in a statement.
Sims’ Sept. 2 arrest came as American airports have become risky places for foreigners, even those who are here legally.
Asian Americans United, which works to track airport arrests, estimates more than 20 people have been arrested at Philadelphia International Airport or while seeking to fly there since July 12. That includes at least 13 taken into custody at the Philadelphia airport itself.
Sims, a veteran of the entertainment-lighting industry, was born in Ireland and raised in London. He had been expecting approval of a green card that he and his wife sought after they married in 2017.
He told his wife that immigration agents had been waiting for him when his Lyft driver pulled up at the San Jose airport. He was confined at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, a 400-bed facility operated by the for-profit, Florida-based GEO Group.
The Department of Homeland Security earlier said Sims had entered the country legally but overstayed his visa.
“Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.,” DHS said in a statement. “Under President Trump and [Homeland Security] Secretary [Markwayne] Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences.”
The department said earlier, and repeated on Thursday, that Sims faces a criminal charge of domestic battery in Nevada, where he lived at one time. DHS provided no further details and, along with ICE, did not respond to requests for information on what allegedly happened and when.
In a search of Nevada court documents, The Inquirer could find no record of any criminal case against Sims. And Sims’ Philadelphia immigration lawyer said he had no knowledge of and could locate no record of such a case.
His wife said he had never been charged with a crime.
Sims’ family and friends started a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses to try to free him from detention and pay related costs. As of Thursday they had raised nearly $21,000 of a $30,000 goal.
Sims’ wife said he legally entered the U.S. on a work visa in 2016.
When that expired, he was approved for entry under ESTA, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. That is an online initiative the federal government uses to prescreen travelers before they visit the United States under the Visa Waiver Program.
The waiver program allows citizens from 42 countries, including Ireland and the United Kingdom, to travel here for tourism or business for up to 90 days at a time.
Jennifer Sims said after they wed, she filed Form I-130, the document required to prove a valid family relationship with a foreigner who wants to immigrate to the United States.
That application, she said, was approved in March 2020 ― a key step toward a green card. Her husband had completed his biometrics appointment, where the government collects the applicant’s fingerprints, photograph, and digital signature, three months earlier, she said.
The couple thought they were waiting for approval of his green card when he was arrested, Jennifer Sims said.
