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Family of German national detained at Logan alleges mistreatment by border patrol
Fabian Schmidt’s family alleges that he was “subjected to a ‘violent interrogation,’ stripped, and placed in a cold shower,” according to Schmidt’s legal defense.
The family of a German national who was detained at Boston Logan International Airport says he was subject to “violent interrogation” while in border control custody.
On March 7, Fabian Schmidt, 34, was returning from a trip to Luxembourg when he was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Logan, according to Keller Law Group LLC, the law firm defending Schmidt.
Schmidt’s family alleges that he was “subjected to a ‘violent interrogation,’ stripped, and placed in a cold shower,” the law group said.
“There were unnecessary interrogation tactics imposed,” David Keller, who is representing Schmidt, told WPRI. “It broke him to the point where medically speaking he needed to be transported to the hospital.”
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection has denied the allegations.
“These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP,” Hilton Beckham, assistant commissioner of public affairs, said in a statement.
Keller Law Group LLC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Schmidt is a green card holder and has lived in the United States for over two decades, according to the law group.
Schmidt’s green card was allegedly tagged for him failing to attend a hearing because the invitation was sent to his old address, according to the family’s fundraiser to cover Schmidt’s legal costs and loss of earnings.
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“To compound this error, he had just recently been provided with a new replacement Green Card since he had lost the original one,” the fundraising page says. “Even then U.S. Immigration failed to let him know that there was an outstanding hearing which he had missed and that his card would be tagged.”
In response to an inquiry about Schmidt, Massachusetts State Police said a trooper was dispatched on March 10 to address a medical call at the Customs Hall in Terminal E. Boston EMS also responded and determined that the individual required transport to a local hospital, police said.
Schmidt was ultimately transferred to Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, where he remains, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement database shows. The facility has faced scrutiny for its treatment of detainees, after an immigrant died in the facility’s custody in 2008.
“The conditions at a lot of these detention facilities are just inhumane,” Sarang Sekhavat, chief of staff at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, told Boston.com. “This is part of a broader pattern that we’re seeing with the way that ICE and CBT are treating people.”
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Schmidt has faced several misdemeanor charges in California, including possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence, hunting without a license, and failure to appear for jail, The Boston Globe reported.
“When an individual is found with drug related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action,” Beckham, of CBP, said.
However, Keller says the charges have been “resolved.”
“All of his California matters have been resolved,” Keller said in the interview with WPRI. “There may or may not be anyone of which would be relative to his detention.”
Sarah Sherman-Stokes, associate director of the Immigrants’ Rights and Human Trafficking Program at Boston University, said Schmidt’s situation is “not uncommon.”
“Even these seemingly small interactions with the criminal legal system can have big, big impacts for non-citizens,” she told Boston.com.
Just earlier this month, pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, also a green card holder, was arrested and ordered to be deported.
German officials have updated travel advice for their citizens when traveling to the United States, warning that the Trump administration’s tougher immigration enforcement could lead to detention or deportation, POLITICO reported.
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Sherman-Stokes was not surprised to hear about Schmidt’s alleged mistreatment and said green card holders have faced similar issues for decades.
“[Green card holders] are not immune from the type of ‘violent interrogation’ that Mr. Schmidt was subject to when he was apprehended at Logan Airport,” she said. “Unfortunately, we see this with a lot of folks that are in detention. They’re treated inhumanely.”
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