Supporters call for release of German national being detained in RI
Mar 18, 2025
CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. (WPRI) — Dozens gathered outside the Wyatt Detention Facility Tuesday evening to demand the release of a German national who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents more than a week ago.
Fabian Schmidt, who lives in Nashua, New Hampshire, was ta
ken into custody on March 7 at Boston Logan International Airport after returning home from a trip to visit his family in Luxembourg.
Schmidt's mother told New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR) that her son was "violently interrogated" for hours before being stripped naked, forced to take a cold shower and then deprived of food, water and his anxiety medication. He eventually collapsed and was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later tested positive for the flu.
"There were unnecessary interrogation tactics imposed," Schmidt's attorney David Keller told 12 News.
In a statement to 12 News, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the claims being made regarding Schmidt's treatment "are blatantly false."
"When an individual is found with drug-related charges and tries to re-enter the country, officers will take proper action," the statement continued.
12 News asked Keller about the drug-related charges Schmidt was supposedly facing, to which he replied that those have been resolved.
SEE ALSO: Rhode Island doctor deported despite having work visa
Schmidt and his mother moved to the United States in 2007 and received their green cards the following year, NHPR reported. He moved from California to New Hampshire three years ago and had renewed his green card prior to it being flagged in Boston.
NHPR said Schmidt, who works as an electrical engineer, previously faced a misdemeanor charge in California for possessing marijuana back in 2015. That charge was dismissed after the drug became legal for recreational use in the state. But he reportedly missed a hearing connected to that case in 2022 because the notice was never forwarded to his new address.
Schmidt's supporters rallied outside the Wyatt Detention Facility Tuesday evening, just hours after ICE agents brought him there.
"You have to have some sort of trust in your government that, if you're up to date and you have your papers, this shouldn't happen to you," Rhode Island Working Families Party's Zack Mezera said.
"It's a great danger for all of us, I mean, who's next?" demonstrator Jarrett Kerbel asked. "People with green cards have a right to due process."
Keller said he's waiting for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to give Schmidt a notice to appear in court. He will then be able to file and seek bond on Schmidt's behalf.
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