Irish woman Cliona Ward to be freed after charges dropped by US immigration

Cliona Ward was informed that the decision had been made to drop all proceedings against her

Irish woman Cliona Ward has had the charges against her dropped by the US immigration service and will be released this afternoon.

Appearing before a judge this morning in Tacoma, Washington, Dublin-born Ms Ward was informed that all charges had been dropped against her and she is to be released imminently.

Ms Ward, 54, a green card holder who has been resident in the US for more than 40 years, was arrested by US immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) officials on April 21 in San Francisco on foot of decades-old felony convictions which she thought had been expunged from her record.

She had been held at an ICE detention centre in Washington State ever since.

In light of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Ms Ward and her family had feared that she would be held in detention for many months while waiting for her case to be processed by the US immigration system.

“When Cliona appeared before the judge this morning she was informed that the decision had been made to drop all proceedings against her and she will be released this afternoon,” Ms Ward’s sister, Midleton resident Tracey Ward, told the Irish Examiner.

“So it’s good news, she gets her freedom today,” she added.

United States Representative Jimmy Panetta said: “Cliona Ward’s release demonstrates what can happen when we come together to fight for transparency, due process, and justice. We fought for Cliona from the top down and the bottom up. I pressured officials from the White House to the Irish government. We worked with her exceptional legal team from Seattle to Santa Cruz. And we coordinated with community advocates and her family. We fought to make sure that all of the facts about Cliona and her case were presented so that the Court could use its full discretion and do the right thing.

“But this case also is an example of this Administration doing the wrong thing when it comes to its overreaching deportation policies that can sweep up people like Cliona."

He said as a former narcotics and gang prosecutor, "I understand and appreciate the removal of gang members and violent criminals from our communities".

"However, due process and transparency are what allow us to formally separate green card holders like Cliona, who have turned around their lives and contribute to our communities. That is just one of the many reasons why we in California’s 19th Congressional District will continue to stand up, speak up, and step up for people like Cliona, and fight for due process under the laws of our land.”