(NewsNation) — A “visa mix-up” landed British national Becky Burke at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Washington state, where she has been detained for nearly two weeks, her father claimed on social media.
Burke, a 28-year-old Welsh woman on a North American backpacking trip, originally tried to enter Canada from the United States, though her visa was denied due to suspicion that she may try to work there illegally.
Upon denial, she tried to reenter the U.S. and was detained by ICE, her father, Paul Burke, said in an “urgent appeal” on social media. She had reportedly been backpacking on the continent since Jan. 7.
The post blames the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown for what was meant to be a life-changing trip devolving into a “nightmare.”
“Becky’s current conditions are deeply concerning. She is sharing a cell, surviving on a diet of cold rice, potatoes, and beans (she is vegan), and has limited access to phone calls,” her father’s post reads in part. “Visitors are restricted to speaking through a glass screen via telephone. All her possessions have been confiscated, and she feels isolated and desperate to come home.”
In a statement to NewsNation, an ICE spokesperson said Burke was detained by the agency “for violation of the terms and conditions of her admission.”
She is currently being held in the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.
Burke spoke to BBC from inside the facility, which she described as “cold” and “maxed out.”
“They keep saying in all their booklets that this is not a prison. It’s hard to distinguish from my conception of a prison,” Burke said.
She also told the outlet she’s met people “stuck” in the facility who have not seen their families in years. Burke faces detention and deportation.
Burke’s detention is at least the second such instance since Trump took office. The first, as reported by CNN, involved a German tourist who attempted to cross the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego.
Jessica Brösche, a Berlin-based tattoo artist, was denied entry because of her visa. She was reportedly kept in ICE custody for a month.