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A British woman who was detained by ICE while holding her newborn baby has been freed — in time for Thanksgiving.
Katie Paul, 33, headed over to the States in September 2024, to be with her husband, Stephen, originally from San Diego, and the couple quickly tied the knot the following month.
She was planning on returning to the UK while she got her green card sorted, but was told her pregnancy was high-risk, so she decided to sort it out from the US.
On November 20, 2025, the British citizen was in the final stages of getting her green card approved at the San Diego US Citizenship and Immigration Services office when ICE agents came in and arrested Katie while she had her six-month-old son in her arms.
Katie was taken to a detention center, where she stayed for six days before being released by authorities and given a green card.
Her mom, Jules Peters, 55, a content creator, from Beccles, Suffolk, said: “Katie is exhausted, but is now resting at home.
“We are so relieved she is home. It was great to speak to her and Stephen, and the baby on a video call.
“We want to thank everyone who helped us, every single person who took the time to share our story and send messages of support.
“I’m hoping to fly out next week to hug them all.”
Katie went out to San Diego, California, US, in September 2024, to meet up with her husband, Stephen, after dating long distance.
The couple then tied the knot the following month and found out that they were expecting their first child together.
Initially, she was planning to fly back to the UK, but Katie found out she was expecting and decided to stay in the US due to it being a high-risk pregnancy.
Jules said: “They had a long-distance relationship. When she went out there last September, he had proposed.
“They got married quickly the following month, and Katie found out she was pregnant.
“Due to it being a high-risk pregnancy, Katie didn’t want to travel back and forth.
“They had spoken to an immigration lawyer who said they can apply for a green card while living in the US because they are married.”
On November 19, 2025, Katie, her husband and their son went to the San Diego US Citizenship and Immigration Services office for her green card interview.
A Green Card, also known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows non-citizens to live and work in the country permanently.
During the interview, ICE agents arrested Katie and a dozen other people who were undergoing the green card process.
Jules said: “On Thursday, they were getting everything signed off, that’s when ICE agents came in to detain her.
“My daughter had my six-month-old grandson in her arms while they did this.
“I got a message at 7pm our time on Thursday from Katie, she said, ‘Mom, ICE are going to detain me.’”
While in the detention center, Katie was able to FaceTime her mom.
Speaking previously Jules said: “She is in complete shock; none of us can believe this is happening to her.
“The people in the center aren’t treating her badly, but we just can’t believe this is happening.
“She has anxiety and is feeling really, really low; she just wants to be with her husband and baby.”
On November 25, 2025, Katie was released by authorities and given a green card – meaning she is able to stay and live in the United States.
In a statement, NBC San Diego, ICE said that the agency “is committed to enforcing federal immigration laws through targeted operations that prioritise national security, public safety, and border security.”
They said: “Individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including those out of status at federal sites such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and removal in accordance with US immigration law.”
Friends and family of Katie set up a GoFundMe originally to pay for legal fees to get her home but are now helping other families in similar situations.
