Posted on 02/28/2026 9:20:41 AM PST by TheDon
HOUSTON – A Houston-area family says they are running out of answers and patience as they fight to bring home their loved one who has been in immigration detention since November.
Curtis Wright, 39, a legal U.S. permanent resident originally from Canada, was detained November 6 after returning from a business trip to Mexico. His family says he was taken into custody at George Bush Intercontinental Airport after going through customs.
“And when he landed at Bush, they pulled him aside for a second screening,” said his fiancée, Kayla Thomsen. “A couple hours later, he let us know that he was being detained and sent to an ICE detention center. We were baffled. Like, this can’t happen.”
Wright is currently being held at a detention facility in Pearsall, Texas, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement database.
Wright has lived in the United States for more than two decades. His father, Jim Wright, said the family moved frequently due to his work before settling in the U.S. when Curtis was a teenager. The family entered the country in 1998 on visas and became lawful permanent residents in 2001.
“He’s a permanent resident of the U.S.,” Jim Wright said. “They’ve renewed his green card twice.”
The family says immigration officials told them Wright is being held because of a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge from when he was 17 years old. He also has two other misdemeanor charges on his record.
“That charge was adjudicated when he was a young teenager, 22 years ago,” Jim Wright said. “Now, if it has to be satisfied again in the immigration courts versus the criminal courts, I accept that. But you don’t incarcerate him and put him behind bars for four months while you’re waiting on that.”
According to his father, Wright was categorized as a “visiting alien” when he re-entered the country, making him ineligible for bond.
...
I’m going to wait for the rest of the story to come out on this. Being a naturalized citizen, I was always fully aware that any screw up on my part could jeopardize my status
Exactly.
Fake News.
Fake News is a story that has some semblance of truth to it, but is slanted towards sensationalism in order to advance a leftist agenda.
After all this rime he never became a citizen/
Something is weong
““He’s a permanent resident of the U.S.,”
That doesn’t make him a citizen. And he is being held for crimes he committed and has never been held accountable for. He has had a steady need for his commitment since he entered the country apparently in the same status since he was a teen and he failed in that. You dance, you pay the piper. Being allowed into the greatest country on earth has a price. This one was just doing what is right and acceptable to our society. He decided not to. He chose poorly.
wy69
That might cause problems with his Green Card.
That might mean he applied for a USA Passport, and lied about his criminal record.
Anyway, all the facts come from his lawyer and family.
Not exactly objective witnesses.
I have never heard of a misdemeanor controlled substance crime. More details on that would be helpful.
"The family says immigration officials told them Wright is being held because of a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge from when he was 17 years old. He also has two other misdemeanor charges on his record."
Third strike? He's OUT!
“Curtis should have taken steps decades ago and he could have avoided his current predicament.”
But, based on this story, he DID do everything right. Became a Permanent Resident. Got his green card renewed twice.
I suspect there’s more to this story than is being reported. I doubt a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge from when he was 17 years old and two other misdemeanor charges would cause this.
My father was a green card holder for 60 years. He never became a citizen.
“Read the article. Dude was bringing in drugs upon return from his ‘business trip’ to Sunny Mexico.”
There’s nothing in this article about that.
“Dude was bringing in drugs upon return from his ‘business trip’ to Sunny Mexico.”
If that is the case, then he should have been charged.
However, it does not appear he faces any such accusations or charges.
Curtis Wright, 39, a lawful U.S. permanent resident originally from Canada (born in Edmonton), has been detained by ICE since November 6, 2025—nearly four months as of February 28, 2026—after being flagged during re-entry at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport following a legitimate business trip to Mexico.This sure seems like over-zealous action to me. He's not the role-model he could be, but the infractions are minor, the first over 20 years ago when he was a kid, he's been clean eight years, works in the oil & gas industry, and has American citizen kids. He is not like Tren de Aragua, MS13, and Mexican cartel gangsters. There has to be room for common sense application of the law.Reason for Detention
The primary trigger is a misdemeanor conviction for possession of a controlled substance (a single Xanax tablet) from around 2003–2004 when he was 17 years old. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA § 237(a)(2)(B)(i)), any conviction "relating to a controlled substance" (except a single personal-use possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana) makes a permanent resident deportable, no matter how old or minor the offense. Xanax qualifies as a controlled substance, so this applies with no exception.
Criminal History
Public reports and family statements describe only low-level, non-violent misdemeanors from his teens/early 20s and one later incident. No felonies, violence, trafficking, or recent crimes:
- ~2003–2004 (age 17): Misdemeanor possession of controlled substance (one Xanax tablet; primary trigger).
- ~2004: Citation for evading detention (possibly not pursued or dismissed).
- ~2016: Minor drug-possession allegation (dismissed).
- ~2016: Misdemeanor for carrying a handgun in a vehicle (fiancée's legally registered gun left in glove compartment; no carry license).
- 2018: Misdemeanor DUI (resolved; stopped drinking afterward).
Background and Family
He has lived in the U.S. since his mid-teens (~2001), holds a business degree, works in the oil and gas sector in the Houston area, and has renewed his green card twice without prior issues. He has U.S.-citizen children: an 18-month-old daughter with fiancée Kayla Thomsen, plus two older sons. Family describes him as no flight risk or danger to the community.
Current Detention Status
As of late February 2026, he remains at the South Texas ICE Processing Center (also known as South Texas Detention Facility) in Pearsall, Texas. He has been transferred multiple times. He reports harsh conditions: extreme cold (no blankets/jackets), contaminated water (causing illness), poor/crowded hygiene, substandard food, and significant delays in hearings.
Legal Actions
In January 2026, attorneys filed a federal habeas corpus petition arguing prolonged detention without adequate due process or bond violates his rights. The family has contacted lawmakers and is fighting for release so he can contest removal proceedings from outside custody. Hearings continue to face delays.
Additional Support
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched by family and supporters to help with legal costs, support Curtis, and aid other detainees in similar situations. It highlights broader issues with prolonged detentions.
Is There More to the Story?
No evidence from consistent U.S. and Canadian media reports (Click2Houston, CTV News, The Canadian Press, etc.), public records, or family statements suggests hidden felonies, fraud, or other serious issues. The case reflects stricter enforcement of longstanding immigration laws against even old, minor drug misdemeanors for permanent residents at ports of entry under current priorities. ICE has confirmed custody but provided no detailed public comments beyond standard status checks.
I’m a natural born US citizen.
I’ve spent years working with non-citizens.
This is just my opinion.
If you become a US citizen and swear
allegiance to our country and give up, in public
allegiance to your old country, you may be OK.
If you want dual citizenship, or temporary
residence papers, you are
suspect.
I once swore to serve and possibly die to
protect my home nation(USAF 1973-1978).
Disabled veteran. I get a dinky check
every month for compensation.
I don’t have much respect for people
that disrespect America or by their own choice
do not become full US citizens and disavow
all allegiances to foreign lands,
but insist on living in my country
taking advantage of our bounty that their
native country cannot provide them.
Some green card holders are the victims of technical issues. I know someone who was born overseas. His mother married an American serviceman, and the family moved to the United States. His siblings all applied for citizenship and easily became American citizens. He also applied, but has not been able to get citizenship, because his birth certificate was updated by relatives overseas, and they slightly misspelled his name. He has a green card, which is updated regularly, but his repeated efforts to acquire U.S. citizenship have been unsuccessful. He tries to keep his nose clean, including simple things such as not speeding, so that he doesn’t draw undue attention to his situation.
Dont care. AMF
My son’s MIL was born in Germany to a German mother and an American father who was stationed there during the Korean War. The family moved to the US when she was a toddler. Although her father was a citizen (now deceased) and a veteran, her mother (now deceased) never became one.
His MIL thought that she was a dual citizen, but discovered that she was never granted US citizenship, and has been working to get that for 30+ years. She does have a green card and is a legal permanent resident, but her birth records in Germany have been difficult to locate from here. She’s afraid if she goes there to figure it out, that she won’t be able to come back into the US until it’s sorted out, so she has never left the US.
She tries to get this sorted out periodically for many years. My son has gone with her to the consulate to try to see what they can do. It’s an agonizingly slow process. All she wants to do is become a legit US citizen. She doesn’t even remember Germany.
For people like this, I wish we could get our act together. She is the daughter of a U.S. veteran. The man was an honorable person.
I just hope they get this sorted out before much longer.
I agree. Plus even if this is an extreme case it is ONE case. There will be cases like this . There have been hundreds and hundreds of thousands of detainings.
NO reason to stop
That sounds very much like my son’s MIL’s situation in post 17.
Yes. He has even gone to the consulate in Washington to try to make progress, but no progress seems to be forthcoming.
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