A German tattoo artist has been in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for over a month following an attempt to enter the United States from Mexico. Jessica Brösche, a Berlin-based artist, had been vacationing in Mexico when she decided to cross into the U.S. via the San Ysidro port of entry, accompanied by her American friend, Nikita Lofving. However, immigration authorities detained her upon arrival.
Lofving, a Los Angeles-based clothing designer, was with Brösche when she was taken into custody. “They took her right in front of me as we were walking over,” Lofving said in an interview with CNN. “Two hours later, she called me and said, ‘I’m gonna get deported back to Germany. I’ll call you from Germany in a couple of days.’”
That call occurred on January 25, and Brösche has remained in detention since then. According to Lofving, Brösche had initially planned to leave the U.S. by February 15 but is now well past that date. Brösche is currently being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Facility in San Diego County as she awaits deportation.
CNN reached out to both ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for clarification on the reasons for her detention. A CBP spokesperson told CNN affiliate KGTV that foreign nationals denied admission to the U.S. who cannot immediately book a return flight to their country of origin are handed over to ICE. An ICE spokesperson confirmed that Brösche is being detained due to a violation of her admission terms.
Lofving speculated that immigration officials may have misunderstood Brösche’s intentions. She explained that Brösche had planned to tattoo Lofving as part of a long-standing collaboration between the two artists, but Lofving emphasized that the arrangement was not monetary. “We’ve been working on this tattoo project on my body for the last five or six years, and in exchange, I make clothes for her,” Lofving said.
Brösche, in a phone interview with KGTV last month, described her experience in detention as “horrible,” especially the eight days she spent in solitary confinement upon her arrival. “I just want to get home. I’m really desperate,” she told KGTV. “I don’t really understand why it’s taking so long to get back to Germany.”
Lofving mentioned that Brösche’s friends and family are hopeful she will be released and flown home by March 11, with her mother purchasing a plane ticket for her. However, uncertainty remains as to whether ICE will allow her release by that time. Lofving shared that when Brösche sent the flight information to her ICE agent, she was informed that the ticket needed to be approved before purchasing.
The German Consulate in Los Angeles has confirmed it is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with both U.S. authorities and Brösche’s family. CoreCivic, the private company that operates Otay Mesa, stated that they do not know the details surrounding the circumstances of detainees but are responsible for ensuring they receive respectful and humane care.
Jeff Joseph, president-elect of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, called Brösche’s extended detention “extremely concerning.” He explained that as a participant in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, Brösche would typically have been deported immediately rather than held in detention for over a month. Under this program, tourists waive their right to litigation, and those denied entry are usually allowed to voluntarily return to their home countries rather than face deportation proceedings.
Joseph highlighted that the delay in Brösche’s case raises questions, as she has been subjected to unusual treatment, which adds to the concerns surrounding her prolonged stay in detention.
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