British tourist held in US after visa mix-up released, says family
The family of a British woman detained in the US for three weeks because of a visa mix-up say she has left the immigration detention centre and are hopeful she is on her way home.
Rebecca Burke, 28, a graphic artist from Monmouthshire, was trying to cross from the US state of Washington into Canada when she was refused entry.
Canadian authorities told her to go back to the US and fill in new paperwork before returning.
However, when she tried to re-enter the US, she was handcuffed and put in a cell before being taken to Tacoma Northwest detention facility.
Her father, Paul Burke, previously said she was being held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) āin horrendous conditionsā and had not had access to legal representation.
Speaking on Tuesday, Burke said the family was hoping she was on her way home. āWeāre hoping she is, we canāt be sure. The only thing we can be sure of is she left the detention centre yesterday afternoon, but because ICE do not communicate very well and took her phone off her, we canāt be sure [that she is coming home],ā he said, adding that the family were feeling emotional after the ordeal.
Burke was planning to stay with a host family where she would carry out domestic chores in exchange for accommodation and was told she should have applied for a working visa instead of a tourist visa.
She had previously been staying with a host family in Portland, Oregon, under a similar arrangement after spending time sightseeing in New York City, where she first arrived from the UK at the start of the year.
The family raised nearly Ā£10,000 online to contribute towards Burkeās legal fees, living costs and return flight home, and have promised to donate any surplus to charities in Seattle supporting individuals in similar situations.
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