U.S. Army Veteran Faces Deportation After 50 Years in America
Godfrey Wade has spent more than half a century building a life in the United States, serving his country in the Army, raising a family and contributing to his community. Yet today, that life is on the brink of being torn apart. Wade, a Jamaican-born veteran living in Georgia, is facing deportation after being held in immigration detention for nearly five months.
Wade’s journey in the U.S. began as a teenager in 1975. He enlisted in the Army, served overseas and was honorably discharged. For decades, he lived legally as a permanent resident, working as a chef, a tennis coach and a fashion designer. Friends and family describe a man who has poured his energy into his country and community. But now, those decades of service and commitment are overshadowed by old legal issues and a removal order Wade says he never knew about.
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The chain of events that led to this situation began with a minor traffic stop last September. Wade was arrested for driving without a license, which triggered his detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency cited a 2014 removal order tied to a bounced check from 2007 and a minor assault charge from 2006. Wade’s attorney notes that the assault involved no actual violence, just a domestic argument where items were knocked over and the fines from the bounced check had long been paid.
The removal order was issued in Wade’s absence after a hearing notice never reached him. As a result, Wade’s family says he never had the chance to present his side of the story. His fiancée, April Watkins, describes the stress and fear of uncertainty as he was transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, with a potential flight back to Jamaica looming. Wade’s six children and three grandchildren are left grappling with the possibility of losing a father and grandfather.
This case has drawn attention from both sides of Congress, as lawmakers urge the Department of Homeland Security to reopen Wade’s case and allow him a hearing. Advocates argue that the country’s promises of service and sacrifice should carry weight and that a lifetime of contribution cannot be erased by decades-old mistakes.
Wade’s story forces a broader question: what does it mean to honor those who have served their country? For a man who pledged his life to the U.S. Army, lived as a law-abiding resident and contributed meaningfully to his community, deportation feels not only harsh but fundamentally unjust.
As this situation unfolds, the world is watching and the outcome will resonate far beyond one family. Stay with us for continuing coverage as we track the legal developments and the human story behind a veteran fighting to remain in the country he served.
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