The husband of an Irish grandmother who could be deported by US immigration officials for a dodgy $25 cheque has said he has “no idea” how his wife is doing. 

Donna Hughes-Brown and her husband, Jim Brown, recently returned to America after a visit to Ireland. 

While Mr Brown is a US citizen, Ms Hughes-Brown moved legally to America from Ireland in 1977 but holds a green card. 

When they arrived back in the United States, a police officer was waiting for Ms Hughes-Brown. 

 “They told us that she needed to fill out paperwork and she’d be done in two hours,” Mr Brown recalled to Lunchtime Live. 

“They told me to fly back [to St Louis] but that she would be back - and that never happened. 

“The next morning, customs said that she had been apprehended and she was in customs. 

“Then they told me, she would only be there a couple of days.” 

Donna Hughes-Brown and her husband, Jim Brown. Image: Supplied.

Five days later, Mr Brown was told him that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had moved his wife to a detention facility. 

The reason for her arrest, she was informed relates to a dodgy $25 cheque that she wrote back in 2015.

“She’s been held for a misdemeanour that happened 10 years ago,” Mr Brown continued.

“That she went to court for and she made restitution for.

“They’re trying to try her a second time on that cheque but she already took care of it, went to court for it, was on probation for it and fixed it.”

A minor offence

Mr Brown continued that his wife’s predicament “get me” because there are so many people who have committed worse crimes out there than, still at liberty to walk the streets. 

“But somebody could be accused of a much graver crime that’s an American citizen and they can be out on bond in 24 hours,” he said. 

“I had no idea that it would ever come to arresting a 58 year old grandmothers that haven’t committed crimes.

“And that’s the thing that’s very puzzling; how do we live in a world that allows that? It doesn’t make sense to me.” 

Mr Brown has not talked to his wife in six days and has “no idea” how she is doing; the case is due to be heard on 17th September.

Main image: Donna Hughes-Brown and her husband, Jim Brown. Image: Supplied.