According to AP, documents support the claim that the 39-year-old man, who suffers from mental illness, was born in Florida. DHS denies this, stating he is a foreign national from Jamaica.
An investigation by The Associated Press (AP), published on October 27, 2026, reports that documents support the claim that a 39-year-old man with a serious mental illness, detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January, is a U.S. citizen. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejects that conclusion. None of the facts in the case have been confirmed by official sources: what follows is the AP report and the DHS statement.
What AP reports
According to the Associated Press, the man was arrested on January 5, after an immigration court hearing, and is being held at a facility in Bunker Hill, Indiana. The AP reports that ICE is attempting to deport him to Jamaica and that an immigration judge ordered his removal in April.
The Associated Press reports that his lawyers presented a 1987 Florida birth certificate and an affidavit from his mother, a U.S. citizen. It also says it independently obtained a 1988 court document regarding paternity that matches the information on the birth certificate, and that the man received a U.S. passport in 2008 and another in 2023.
According to the same report, medical reports presented in court describe a delusion in which the man believes he was born in Jamaica, and Jamaican authorities told his lawyers they have no record of his birth or citizenship. The AP adds that he himself told authorities he was born there.
The DHS response
The DHS published a response on X calling the AP's version false. It maintains that ICE arrested a Jamaican national with prior convictions on January 5, that his U.S. passport was issued with a fraudulent birth certificate and was revoked, and that his applications for a certificate of citizenship were denied.
Publication in X
The Associated Press reports that DHS did not respond to subsequent questions or provide evidence of the alleged fraud. That DHS claim has not been independently verified using available resources.
What's next?
According to the Associated Press, a federal judge must rule on a habeas corpus petition seeking his release, and his lawyers are appealing the removal order. The government maintains that his citizenship should be decided in immigration court. As of the time of publication, no court decision had been issued.
The Associated Press notes that ICE does not have the authority to detain U.S. citizens, although it has done so before, usually for hours or days, when there is confusion about identity or citizenship cannot be verified. Immigration lawyers consulted by the AP say that a detention of nearly ten months would be rare, but not unprecedented.
What does it mean to you?
- An individual case does not change the rules, but it shows that citizenship can be discussed within an immigration process.
- If you or a family member are citizens and are detained by ICE, it is helpful to have copies of your birth certificate, passport or naturalization certificate, and the contact number of a lawyer or legal aid organization on hand.
- In an immigration process, a government-paid lawyer is not guaranteed; those who need one can seek non-profit legal organizations.
Legal notice: This information is general and does not replace the advice of a licensed immigration attorney or a representative accredited by the Department of Justice.
Editor's note: Some information in this article could not be confirmed with official sources at the time of publication; it comes from reports by other media outlets or from the individuals quoted. We will update the article if the information changes.
