ICE Shackles 65-Year-Old British Grandma, Holds Her 40 Days Despite Valid Visa

A 65-year-old British grandmother says her American vacation turned into a nightmare behind locked doors, metal bunks, and ankle chains.

Karen Newton had a valid U.S. tourist visa when she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than 40 days. Her husband, Bill Newton, 66, did not. His visa had expired.

But when the couple tried to leave the United States and cross into Canada, both were taken into custody.

“There was no reason to hold me,” Karen told The Guardian. “Bill’s an adult. Why am I held responsible for him?”

According to Karen, ICE agents shackled her wrists, waist, and ankles during transport. She described the experience as humiliating and frightening.

“They told me I was guilty by association,” she said.

The Newtons had been traveling as tourists. They were not accused of a crime. They were not charged. Yet they were moved into a detention facility that Karen says looked and felt like a prison.

“Locking doors, guards everywhere, cells, everything clamped to the floor—it’s how I imagine a prison to be,” she said. “Prison would actually be better, because at least you get a sentence. You know when you’re leaving.”

Karen says she struggled to climb onto a top bunk and was told to sleep on the floor instead.

Three days into detention, officials encouraged the couple to sign voluntary self-removal paperwork. The deal, she says, was simple: agree to leave the country, receive government-paid flights home and a $1,000 “exit bonus,” and accept a 10-year ban from returning.

They signed.

But instead of immediate release, they were held another 39 days.

Karen says she repeatedly asked why she remained in custody. She claims some guards told her that detention numbers matter.

“Individual ICE agents get money per head that they detain,” she said. “That’s what the guards told me.”

ICE has not publicly responded to those claims.

Karen’s story comes amid growing scrutiny of detention conditions nationwide. Human rights advocates have raised alarms about facilities from the Everglades to Texas.

At a site dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in Florida’s Everglades, attorneys have alleged detainees were placed in small cage-like spaces known as “the box,” shackled in ways that limited movement.

In Dilley, Texas, a family detention center saw a measles outbreak. Children held there wrote letters earlier this year describing fear and depression. The Department of Homeland Security disputed those accounts.

Ariana, 14, wrote in one letter, “I’ve been detained for 45 days and I have never felt so much fear to go to a place as I feel here.”

Karen says she felt the same uncertainty.

“You don’t know how long you’re going to be there,” she said. “That’s the worst part.”

The Newtons were eventually released in November and allowed to return to the United Kingdom. Karen received the promised $1,000 payment. Her husband, she says, did not.

Now, she is warning other travelers.

“If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody,” said Rebecca Burke, another British tourist who was detained in a separate case. She told The Guardian she fears young international visitors could face similar treatment during major events like the upcoming World Cup.

The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement has drawn both praise and criticism. Supporters argue strict enforcement protects national security and restores border control. Critics say the policies are sweeping up lawful visitors and damaging America’s image abroad.

Tourism data shows the United States was the only major global destination to see a decline in international travel last year, costing billions in lost revenue.

For Karen Newton, the numbers are secondary.

“I went on holiday,” she said. “I ended up in chains.”