Key facts
- Connor Read, 29, has been detained by ICE in Louisiana for over six weeks.
- Read moved to the U.S. from the UK in 2007 at age nine.
- He was arrested on June 3, 2026, after attending a green card interview in Tampa, Florida.
- Read's criminal history includes convictions for possession of narcotic equipment, possession of liquor, and resisting an officer.
- He is appealing a final order of removal, which could take up to six months to resolve.
Connor Read, a 29-year-old British citizen who has resided in the United States since the age of nine, is currently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and faces deportation. Read was arrested on June 3, 2026, after attending a scheduled green card interview in Tampa, Florida. He was subsequently separated from his wife, Jaelin, and their three-year-old twin sons.
Originally from Chatham, Kent, Read was brought to the U.S. by his mother and stepfather in 2007. He attended American schools and had only visited the UK once. According to reports, Read was subject to a removal order in 2011 but received Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status at age 16, which provided deportation relief and work permits for individuals brought to the U.S. as children.
However, Read's DACA status could not be renewed at age 22 due to minor offenses, including convictions for possession of narcotic equipment, possession of liquor, and resisting an officer. These offenses led the Trump administration to classify him as a "criminal illegal alien." Read met his wife, Jaelin, in 2020, and they married while his immigration status was uncertain. They then applied for a green card.
During the green card interview, ICE agents arrested Read. He was initially held at the Pinellas County Jail in Florida for eight days before being transferred to an ICE detention center in Louisiana. Read is currently appealing his final removal order, a process that could take up to six months. An ICE spokesperson confirmed Read's arrest, citing his criminal history and noting that the agency targets individuals with criminal records.