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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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A 65-year-old Jamaican-born U.S. Army veteran is reportedly facing deportation after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Georgia.
Godfrey Wade, a longtime U.S. resident, was taken into custody following a September 2025 traffic stop for driving without a valid license, according to KENS5.
"On September 18, ICE arrested Godfrey Oliver Wade, a criminal illegal alien from Jamaica. His criminal history includes domestic assault, criminal trespass, reckless conduct, deposit account fraud, violation of probation, multiple arrests for driving on a suspended license," Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement provided to Newsweek. "In 2014, an immigration judge ordered him removed after he failed to show up for his immigration hearing. This repeat offender is now off our streets and no longer able to terrorize Americans."
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"I break down every time I leave the Stewart Detention center after our hour visit. No one should endure what goes on behind the walls of Stewart. It never gets easy leaving my dad behind. The last time I got to hug my dad was the weekend before he got arrested. We were at the lake and he wanted to grill food and take my girls swimming. I am thankful we had that last opportunity to spend time with my dad," Wade's daughter, Christian Wade, told Newsweek.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and his administration has ramped up immigration arrests and removals.
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What To Know
Following the traffic stop, local authorities referred him to ICE, which transferred him to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, a CoreCivic-operated immigration jail that has faced years of scrutiny over conditions.
"The Stewart Detention Center is overcrowded and our dad has been denied a bed for weeks," the family wrote in a post on GoFundMe.
Wade arrived in the United States in 1975, aged 15, and later enlisted in the Army, where he earned multiple commendations both for wartime service and good conduct. After leaving the military, he completed college degrees, worked various jobs, including his current job at a café, and built a family that now includes children and grandchildren, according to KENS5.
Wade’s fiancee, April Watkins, has publicly appealed for his release, arguing that veterans who served in the U.S. military deserve protection from deportation. "If you served this country, you deserve a chance to stay in this country," she told The Guardian.
Migrants without legal status are eligible to serve in the U.S. military.
What People Are Saying
The family wrote in a post on GoFundMe: "Godfrey is a family man and a loving father to six children, all U.S. citizens, and a proud grandfather to three granddaughters, also U.S. citizens. He is a caring and supportive partner to his beautiful fiancee who is also a U.S citizen."
Godfrey Wade's daughter, Christian, told Newsweek: "I have seen some misinformation floating around and I would like to clear up some things. My father has never been to prison and has never been charged with a felony. He has never been deported and has been living here since he came as a teen."
What Happens Next
Wade remains in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
Update 12/09/25, 4:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Christian Wade.
Update 12/19/25, 9:52 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Department of Homeland Security.
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