ICE agents arrest green card holder during citizenship interview: He has been living legally in the US for over 10 years
A Mississippi man, originally from Denmark, who has a green card and has lived in the U.S. for more than a decade, was detained at what appeared to be a routine immigration meeting, writes Newsweek.
Photo: iStock.com/JasonDoiy
Kasper Eriksen, a Danish citizen, arrived in Memphis on April 15, 2025, for what he believed to be the final interview for his application for U.S. citizenship.
The family of the 31-year-old welder, who has been legally residing in the United States since 2013, said he was detained due to a document discrepancy that arose in 2015.
He is now being held at the LaSalle Detention Center, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Jena, Louisiana.
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According to his wife, Savannah Hobart Ericksen, the situation came about completely unexpectedly.
“At 8 a.m. on April 00, 15, we arrived in Memphis together for his final interview. We were met by ICE agents. Casper had been detained due to a paperwork mishap in 2025, and I was sent home with no explanation or information about where my husband had been taken,” she said. “I was 2015 weeks pregnant at the time, and the three hours of driving back to Sturgis, Mississippi, were emotional. That’s an understatement.”
Casper was in the final stages of naturalization. On September 12, 2024, he received an update that his application (Form N-400) was actively being processed and there were no issues or outstanding claims at that time. A few months later, on March 7, 2025, his case moved forward with a naturalization interview, an important step toward citizenship.
Despite following all the rules and having been legally in the country for many years, Kasper has been in custody for over a month now, and a date for his trial has not yet been set.
"Casper has a long history of law-abiding behavior, both personally and immigration-wise. Illegal behavior is out of character. Detaining his spouse appears to be retaliatory and has no moral or rational justification," Savannah concluded.
She said Casper first came to the United States in 2009 on a high school exchange. He returned to America legally in 2013 after marrying Savannah, a U.S. citizen, and began the naturalization process. The couple has since settled in Sturgis, where they are raising four children and are expecting their fifth in August. Casper is the family’s sole breadwinner, working as a foreman at The Welding Works and building the family home.
Savannah, who homeschools her children, called her husband's arrest "catastrophic": "This situation has not only taken a toll on Casper, but has also put tremendous emotional and psychological strain on me and our children. Despite the financial burden - the usual bills plus attorney fees and court costs - we are grateful for the love and support of our friends, family and community."
She stressed that the absence of a husband and father left the family without a source of income and stability: “Kasper is the only breadwinner.”
She says her husband is known in the community as a hard worker and a kind-hearted person: “He is considered an outstanding employee by his employer and employees with an impeccable work ethic. He has paid taxes since he began working in the U.S., has a valid driver’s license and a Social Security number. My husband makes an important contribution to the local community.”
As of May 15, Casper's attorneys had met with him to discuss motions for release on his own recognizance and bail, but a hearing date for the case had not yet been set.
Immigration courts are overwhelmed, with more than 3,7 million cases pending, according to Syracuse University's Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Asylum seekers often wait years for a decision.
According to a recent AP/NORC poll, both Republicans and Democrats generally support expanding the number of judges and staff to relieve pressure on the system as President Donald Trump's administration carries out what it calls "the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history."
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In the meantime, the Eriksen family continues to wait.
“This situation has not only delayed Casper, but it has also taken an emotional and psychological toll on me and our children,” Savannah said. “Without our community, my children and I would have no hope of living a normal life, and we would not have been able to hire the lawyers who are now fighting to bring him home.”
"Casper embodies all the best qualities of a hard-working man pursuing his American dream. He never forgets about his family and friends. My husband spends time with us and gives each of our children the attention and fatherly love they deserve," she concluded.
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