Daijiworld Media Network - Houston
Houston, Mar 1: A 39-year-old Canadian-born father of three has spent nearly four months in custody of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being detained at a Houston airport over a misdemeanor charge dating back to his teenage years, leaving his family “baffled” and devastated.
Curtis James Wright, a lawful US permanent resident who has lived in the country since childhood, was taken into custody on November 6 at George Bush Intercontinental Airport while returning from a business trip to Mexico.
According to local reports and a family fundraiser, Wright was pulled aside for secondary screening before authorities informed his fiancée that he would be transferred to an ICE detention facility. He is currently being held at the South Texas ICE Processing Center, located about an hour southwest of San Antonio.
Family members said immigration officials cited a misdemeanor drug possession charge from 22 years ago, when Wright was 17. His father, Jim Wright, told CTV News that the case had been adjudicated at the time and that Curtis had renewed his green card twice since then without issue.
“They’ve renewed his permanent residency multiple times over the last two decades,” Jim said, questioning why authorities were now challenging his status.
The family entered the US on visas in 1998 and became lawful permanent residents in 2001. Wright later earned a business degree and built a career in the oil and gas sector in Texas.
His father acknowledged that Wright had prior legal issues, including the teenage drug possession case involving a Xanax tablet, a misdemeanor firearms-related charge after a handgun registered to his wife was found in a vehicle he was driving, and an impaired driving arrest eight years ago. According to the family, Wright has since stopped drinking alcohol and focused on his career and raising his children.
Speaking from detention, Wright described the emotional toll of separation. “None of it has been enjoyable. The separation from my family has been miserable,” he told CTV News.
His fiancée, Kayla Thomsen, said their 18-month-old daughter asks for her father daily. “She wakes up every morning saying ‘da-da,’ because it would be him going to get her. We’re all devastated,” she said.
Wright is also father to two young sons from a previous marriage. His family fears deportation to Canada could complicate custody arrangements and require expensive relocation.
Last month, Wright’s attorneys filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging his continued detention, arguing it violates his constitutional rights and that he is not a flight risk. The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover mounting legal expenses.
In the fundraiser, relatives describe him as a devoted father who has tried to assist fellow detainees by sharing supplies and teaching English, earning the nickname “professor.”
An ICE spokesperson did not immediately respond to media requests for comment. Wright remains in detention awaiting his immigration hearing as his family continues efforts to secure his release.