Canadian man in ICE custody says he thought agents were only focusing on ‘criminals and murderers’ (Photo by GoFundMe/CTV News YouTube)
A Canadian man currently being held in a U.S. immigration detention facility is speaking publicly about what he describes as harsh living conditions and the emotional toll of being separated from his family, as his loved ones pursue legal action to secure his release.
Curtis Wright, 39, has been detained for nearly four months at the South Texas ICE Processing Centre, located about an hour southwest of San Antonio.
“None of it has been enjoyable. The separation from my family has been miserable,” Curtis said in an interview from inside the facility.
Wright, a U.S. permanent resident originally from Edmonton, was taken into custody in early November after being flagged at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston while returning from a business trip to Mexico.
According to his father, Jim Wright, who spoke to CTV News, the detention stems from a minor drug possession conviction from more than 20 years ago, when Curtis was a teenager.
“They went on the computer and found a misdemeanour that he had been charged with 22 years ago when he was 17 years old,” Jim said, adding that his son was told, “We can withhold you and incarcerate you until you’re able to appear before an immigration judge.”
The conviction involved a Xanax tablet found in the backseat of Curtis’s truck. His past also includes a misdemeanour related to a handgun found in a vehicle registered to his wife and an impaired driving arrest eight years ago. His family says he has since stopped drinking and has renewed his permanent residency multiple times without issue.
Curtis’ fiancé, Kayla Thomsen, described the detention as life-altering. “Our whole world has been flipped upside down. I had this perfect life with this amazing man, and then all of a sudden, he’s just gone,” she said.
She shared that their 18-month-old daughter misses him deeply. “She wakes up, and she says ‘dada,’ and she carries around pictures of him that she’ll cuddle in the morning,” Thomsen said.
Curtis’ mother, Bonnie Wright, added, “I really do have a hard time sleeping. It just keeps going over in my mind, over and over again.” Curtis also raised concerns about the facility itself.
“The general hygiene conditions of the facility are pretty awful,” he said. “It’s run down, there’s mold, dirt, grime everywhere.”
Given the conditions Wright is currently facing, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help Curtis and other detainees in federal custody. Both Americans and Canadians have united for the cause.
He further claimed, “The food is horrendous. It’s something I don’t think my dog would take a second sniff at. I don’t drink water here without boiling it first. It’s finding ways to not stay sick.”
His father questioned the treatment of detainees. “If you were in jail for life, for murder, you’d be treated better,” Jim said.
Reflecting on his experience, Curtis said, “Before I came in here, I was of the mind that they were doing what they said they were doing… What I’ve come to understand since I’ve been in here is that’s the exact opposite of the people that I’ve met and seen.”
“Just people working to provide a life for their family. Trying to be part of society in a productive manner,” he added.
His family has filed a habeas corpus petition in a U.S. federal court, alleging unlawful detention, as they continue their fight for his release.
“Humans are not supposed to behave like this,” Thomsen said. “It’s baffling to me and it’s affecting not only Curtis, but so many others around him. He’s a scholar of a man. He really is.”
