Connor Read, a British-born man who has resided in the United States since the age of nine, has been held in an immigration detention facility for over six weeks while facing deportation proceedings. Read, 29, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 3, 2026, after attending a green card interview at the federal immigration building in Tampa, Florida. His arrest came in the presence of his wife, Jaelin, 25, and their three-year-old twin sons, Ryder and Ozzie.

Originally from Chatham in Kent, England, Read was brought to the U.S. in 2007 by his mother and stepfather. Having grown up in the United States, he attended American schools and returned to the UK only once. In 2011, a removal order was issued against him, but at the age of 16, Read was granted deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA), a program that provides temporary deportation relief and work authorization for eligible individuals brought to the country as children.

However, Read’s DACA protection was later revoked following convictions for minor offenses, including possession of narcotic equipment, possession of liquor, and resisting an officer. ICE categorizes him as a “criminal illegal alien,” a designation that has influenced his immigration status. According to reports, Read was unable to renew his DACA status at 22 due to the narcotic-related conviction.

Read met his wife, Jaelin, through a dating app in 2020 while his immigration status remained uncertain. After their marriage, the couple sought to adjust his status through a green card application. During the June 3 interview, four ICE agents arrested Read and transported him first to Pinellas County Jail in Florida, where he spent eight days in a shared cell, and then to an ICE detention center in Louisiana.

He is currently appealing a final removal order issued by an Orlando immigration judge in January 2011. The appeal process is expected to take up to six months before a decision is reached.

An ICE spokesperson confirmed Read’s arrest and highlighted his criminal record as justification for the enforcement action. The statement noted that Read entered the U.S. in 2007 on an F-2 visa, dependent on his parent’s F-1 student visa, and that following violations of visa terms, he was placed into removal proceedings. ICE emphasized that under former President Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, enforcement efforts have focused on immigrants with criminal convictions, asserting that nearly 70% of ICE arrests involve individuals charged with or convicted of crimes in the U.S.

Jaelin Read has expressed distress over her husband’s detention and the separation from their children, underscoring the human impact of immigration enforcement policies on families. The case highlights ongoing debates about immigration enforcement priorities and the fate of individuals brought to the U.S. as children who have subsequently faced legal challenges.