Detention Impact on Green Card Holder and Aftermath

Charity Grace Mukamuri, a green card holder, spoke about her experience in detention, describing it as traumatizing. She is seeking therapy to cope after being released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Mukamuri, 43, was held at the Camp East Montana facility in El Paso, Texas. The conditions there reportedly worsened during her detention from late 2025 to mid-2026, and she claims retaliation occurred when information was externally shared. Mukamuri expressed relief after her release yet struggles with the aftermath, worrying about friends still detained.

“I feel a sense of relief that my process is done…but at the same time, I’m really struggling to cope,” she shared. “I’m glad I’m with my family…but I can’t help but think about my many friends that are still stuck.”

Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment. Mukamuri, originally from Zimbabwe, moved to the U.S. in 2001 on a student visa. DHS accused her of cruelty toward children, but her family asserts she has no criminal record and holds a valid green card.

A DHS spokesperson previous statement emphasized consequences for criminal acts under President Trump. Mukamuri’s release followed a court process, where a judge ordered her release despite finding her removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The court granted her cancellation of removal, allowing her to stay in the U.S.

After her release on June 3, Mukamuri was taken to a shelter before reuniting with her family.

“I was excited, I was happy that I was out—but now I was faced with the reality of what’s next,” Mukamuri said, referring to her plans going forward.

Her reunion with her children was emotional. She considers therapy essential to cope with the effects of detention.

“We have been talking about going into therapy, and we’re going to need that therapy,” Mukamuri stated. “And we have a lot of rebuilding to do because over the course of time, there are a lot of things that we have had to let go.”

Mukamuri runs the Isaiah 54 Project, a nonprofit aiding Tulsa’s homeless community. She was detained after being pulled over in August 2025. She recounts moving through multiple facilities before her lengthy stay at Camp East Montana.

Struggling with legal communication, Mukamuri waited months to speak to her attorney. She documented inadequate conditions inside the facility, including issues with food quality and medical care.

Retaliation ensued after detainee experiences were shared with Newsweek. Mukamuri claims staff tried to identify those involved in sharing information. She faced accusations of improper connections with outside figures, which she dismissed as baseless attempts to discredit her.

She reported belongings being damaged and an atmosphere of intimidation:

“They started intimidating me…they threatened me, saying, ‘we can make your life miserable,’” Mukamuri revealed.

Her focus remains on rebuilding her life and advocating for women still detained. Speaking out was driven by a belief in documenting detainee experiences.

“My heart breaks because I know the conditions that they are living in,” Mukamuri says of the women still detained.

“At least the word is out…at least the world knows that whatever they are hearing, it is true.”