Here's what we know about the British tourist allegedly detained by ICE

In March 2025, a assertion dispersed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained British tourer Becky Burke successful Washington state aft she was refused introduction into the U.S.

Snopes readers wrote to america to inquire astir the legitimacy of a Facebook station purportedly written by Burke's father, which shared accusation astir the circumstances surrounding her detention. Paul Burke's station said his girl had been traveling astir North America and had attempted to transverse from the U.S. to Canada, wherever she was denied introduction owed to an incorrect visa. He said she past tried to instrumentality to the U.S. but was refused reentry and taken to a detention installation successful Tacoma.

https://www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid035PDe46gmDmxKJCB2axDLn2mtbR9WgCo7TGxARBsW1N7ZB5MzXR4fXcdksEs3GERLl

Elsewhere, connected X (archived), a idiosyncratic published a thread sharing that Facebook post's substance crossed the platform, writing: "Becky Burke […] was 'detained' by ICE astatine the Canadian borderline connected 2/28. Her begetter asked that her communicative beryllium shared successful lawsuit idiosyncratic tin assistance her."

We were incapable to independently verify with Becky Burke's relatives the circumstances astir her detention. We contacted Paul Burke to found much details and volition update this communicative if we person a response. However, a spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, which provides assistance to British tourists successful emergencies, told america via email that it was "supporting a British nationalist being detained successful the USA" and was successful interaction with the applicable section authorities.

Paul Burke's "urgent appeal," published to Facebook (archived) connected March 8, outlined the events starring to his daughter's detention. It reads:

Our girl Becky, a 28-year-old British tourist, has been caught up successful the caller migration crackdown successful the US. What was meant to beryllium a life-changing four-month backpacking travel crossed North America has turned into a nightmare. Becky has present been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for implicit 10 days, with nary wide timeline for her release. On February 26th, Becky attempted to transverse the Canadian borderline for the adjacent limb of her journey. Unfortunately, owed to an incorrect visa, she was denied introduction into Canada. When she tried to instrumentality to the US, she was refused reentry and classified arsenic an "illegal alien." Despite being a tourer with nary transgression record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention installation successful Tacoma, Washington. Becky's existent conditions are profoundly concerning. She is sharing a cell, surviving connected a fare of acold rice, potatoes, and beans (she is vegan), and has constricted entree to telephone calls. Visitors are restricted to speaking done a solid surface via telephone. All her possessions person been confiscated, and she feels isolated and hopeless to travel home. […] Becky is simply a kind, adventurous young pistillate who simply wants to instrumentality location to her family.

Other reputable quality outlets, including BBC News and British paper The Guardian, reported that Becky Burke had been detained. Paul Burke told the Radio Wales Breakfast amusement that Becky Burke's detention arose from a "visa mix-up." She reportedly arrived successful New York connected Jan. 7 for a four-month travel and, weeks later, took a autobus to the Canadian borderline to enactment with a big household successful Vancouver, but authorities denied her crossing implicit concerns she whitethorn person tried to enactment illegally. Her section governmental typical Catherine Fookes, subordinate of Parliament for Monmouthshire, confirmed to the BBC that Becky Burke was being held successful an migration installation successful Washington.

Speaking to the section BBC vigor station, Paul Burke said (section begins astir 1:09:28):

It is unbelievable that, basically, a 28-year-old tourer caught up, we think, successful the caller migration crackdown successful the U.S. […] Because of the visa mix-up astatine the border, unbelievably — and erstwhile I explicate to people, I can't judge I'm going to accidental this — she was taken, aft 5 hours successful a compartment astatine the border, she was taken successful handcuffs by Homeland Security successful the U.S., driven to this ample detention halfway successful Tacoma, Washington state, and she's present been determination for implicit 10 days with nary wide timeline for her release. […] She's successful an orangish situation jumpsuit portion her paperwork gets sorted out. […] She was traveling, conscionable similar you and I would do, connected a tourer visa. She'd done each the probe beforehand to find retired what the visa requirements are. Her vacation was a substance of backpacking and tourer sightseeing.

He besides speculated arsenic to wherefore the Burke household thought the authorities astatine the Canadian borderline were acrophobic she mightiness person illegally worked:

To marque it affordable she utilized an enactment which matches travelers with big families and past the traveler goes and lives arsenic a subordinate of the family. […] You get escaped accommodation and you bash the housework, assistance retired astir the house, you conscionable go a subordinate of the family, instrumentality the dogs for a walk. And we think, we're not definite but we think, the Canadian borderline feline interpreted that arsenic enactment and due to the fact that she didn't person a enactment visa, helium said, "You'll conscionable request to spell backmost to the U.S., capable retired the visa and past travel and effort again." But it was erstwhile the U.S. borderline feline conscionable connected the different broadside of the roadworthy said, "We've present decided we're not letting you backmost into the U.S. due to the fact that we besides see that big household taste speech to beryllium work."

We contacted U.S. Homeland Security and ICE to inquire for further details and volition update this communicative if we person a response.

Sources:

Al-Othman, Hannah. "British Tourist Detained by US Authorities for 10 Days implicit Visa Issue." The Guardian, The Guardian, 10 Mar. 2025, www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/10/british-tourist-detained-us-authorities-10-days-visa-issue. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

BBC. "Radio Wales Breakfast - with Dot Davies and James Williams." BBC, BBC Sounds, 10 Mar. 2025, www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0028r8d. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Burke, Paul. "Our Daughter Becky, a 28-Year-Old British Tourist, Has Been Caught up successful the Recent Immigration Crackdown successful the US..." Facebook.com, 8 Mar. 2022, www.facebook.com/paulrburke/posts/pfbid035PDe46gmDmxKJCB2axDLn2mtbR9WgCo7TGxARBsW1N7ZB5MzXR4fXcdksEs3GERLl. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Thomas, Gavin. "Dad of Detained US Tourist Urges Care connected Visa Requirements." BBC News, 10 Mar. 2025, www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c80y3yx1jdyo.