An Irish grandmother who has lived in the US for most of her life and holds a green card is facing deportation because she wrote a bad cheque for $25 in 2015.
Donna Hughes-Brown, 58, was detained in July after landing in Chicago on a flight from Dublin and is being held in isolation in a detention centre in Kentucky. She has lived in the US since 1977, has five children and grandchildren, and ran a horse farm in Troy, Missouri.
Her husband, Jim Brown, a US citizen and military veteran, told reporters his wife was not a criminal and that he “100%” regretted voting for Donald Trump as president.
If you decide not to become a citizen and stay a green card holder for decades because you wish to return to the motherland one day don’t be surprised when the government will help you fulfill those wishes. I don’t get why many migrants across the world don’t want to become a citizen of the country they’ve lived in for decades. Non-citizens are always the first victims the moment the country moves towards authoritarianism.
Some countries make it really hard to give up citizenship. It took my husband 15 years, 3 lawyers and a lot of money. He started the process as soon as he turned 18 because he wanted citizenship of the country he lives in, but his country of birth did everything to slow down the process. Some countries also don’t have a working beaurocracy.
Don’t think that’s the case for Ireland, but I know several stories like that.
Money. It costs money. Why spend on something you don’t need?
Taxes. If they want to move back after becoming a citizen they’ll have to pay usa income tax for 10 years even if they renounce usa citizenship, or forever if they don’t renounce.
I live in the Netherlands I know some migrants who have lived here most their lives and still haven’t naturalized. The tax thing doesn’t apply here we don’t have citizenship based taxes