1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to express my outrage and deep concern over the recent detention and reported mistreatment of Fabian Schmidt, a legal permanent resident of the United States, at Logan Airport. Schmidt, a New Hampshire resident for 17 years with a valid green card, was detained upon returning from Luxembourg. His family was given no clear explanation for his detention, and he was reportedly subjected to hours of violent interrogation, stripped naked, deprived of sleep, denied food and water, and pressured to relinquish his legal status. He ultimately collapsed and was hospitalized before being transferred to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. What kind of country have we become? Since when does the U.S. government treat lawful residents like criminals, detaining them without cause and subjecting them to psychological and physical abuse? These reports sound more like the actions of an authoritarian regime than the behavior of a democracy that prides itself on freedom, due process, and human rights. If this can happen to someone with a valid green card, what does it mean for the millions of others living legally in this country? Are we now a nation where bureaucratic errors or old misdemeanors can lead to indefinite detention, mistreatment, and possible deportation? Is this the message we want to send to the world? I urge you to demand answers from the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection about this case. Who ordered this treatment? What legal grounds justify his detention? Who will be held accountable? Additionally, I ask you to introduce or support legislation ensuring that legal permanent residents have immediate access to legal counsel and due process protections at U.S. ports of entry. The treatment of Schmidt is a violation of basic human rights, and if we allow it to stand, who will be next? I hope to hear what actions you plan to take to prevent the United States from sliding further into an authoritarian state. We are either a democracy or we are not. Right now, it’s hard to tell which one we are.