Cliona Ward, a resident of Santa Cruz County, was detained at the San Francisco International Airport following a trip to Ireland where she visited her gravely ill father. Despite holding a valid permanent green card, she faced charges of moral turpitude stemming from an old drug possession conviction, which her family claims has been expunged. Ward's past includes multiple misdemeanors and felonies relating to drug possession and theft. Her sister described her as terrified and worried about her son as she is transferred to an ICE detention center.
Ward was detained Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the San Francisco International Airport after appearing there for a customs hearing.
Ward's sister stated, 'She's terrified, she's distraught, she's scared, she's worried about her son. She's just trying to hold it together.'
According to Holladay, the basis that federal authorities shared for Ward's detainment stemmed from a 20-year-old drug possession conviction, which she said had been expunged.
Ward's criminal record includes six cases of misdemeanors and felonies involving drug possession and theft ranging from 2003 to 2008.
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