Highlights:
- Curtis Wright has been held in ICE custody for nearly four months.
- He was detained after being flagged at a Houston airport.
- His family says the case is tied to old misdemeanor convictions.
- Wright claims detention conditions are unsanitary and harsh.
- His family has filed a federal habeas corpus petition for his release.
Curtis Wright, a 39-year-old Canadian-born US permanent resident, is speaking out from inside an immigration detention center in Texas. He has been held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center for nearly four months.
Wright was taken into custody in early November at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. He was returning from a business trip to Mexico when he was flagged by immigration officials.
Wright was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and works in the oil and gas industry. According to his family, his detention is connected to a misdemeanor drug possession conviction from more than 20 years ago, when he was 17 years old. His father said the case involved a single Xanax tablet found in his son’s truck. Wright also has a past misdemeanor charge related to a handgun found in a car and an impaired driving arrest from eight years ago.
His family says Wright has renewed his permanent resident status several times without problems and has traveled freely in recent years, including trips to Canada. They were shocked when he was detained.
Wright told CTV News that being separated from his family has been extremely painful. He shares an 18-month-old daughter with his fiancée, Kayla Thomsen, and has two sons from a previous marriage. Thomsen said their daughter asks for her father every morning and carries around photos of him.
Wright’s parents, who live in Texas but spend summers in British Columbia, say the situation has been emotionally exhausting. His mother said she struggles to sleep as she worries about her son’s well-being.
Wright also described what he says are poor conditions inside the detention center. He claims the facility is dirty and run down, with mold and grime. He said that when he was first detained, he received very little food and water during his first 48 hours. He described the food as poor quality and said he boils water before drinking it because he fears getting sick.
His father questioned whether inmates in prison might receive better treatment, noting that prisons often provide regular meals, recreation yards, libraries, and gyms. The family believes that difficult conditions may pressure detainees to give up their legal cases and leave the United States voluntarily.
Wright said the experience has changed his view of immigration enforcement. He said he once believed authorities focused mainly on serious criminals. However, he now says many detainees he has met are people working to support their families and build stable lives.
While in custody, Wright has tried to stay positive. He has been teaching English to other detainees and helping some buy basic supplies from the commissary.
His family has filed a federal habeas corpus petition, arguing that his detention is unlawful and violates his constitutional rights. They hope he can be released and continue his legal fight from home in the Houston area. A GoFundMe campaign has also been launched to support Wright and other detainees.
The case continues as his family waits for a court decision.
