British cartoonist held in Tacoma removed from US

Tourist held at WA detention center brought back to UK

Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old British cartoonist, was removed from the United States after being detained in Tacoma for violating visa terms during her backpacking trip.

Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old citizen of the United Kingdom, was removed from the United States and repatriated to the UK on March 18, according to a statement from an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson.

The backstory:

Burke had been detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, due to a violation of the terms and conditions of her admission into the U.S.

Burke, a cartoonist, had been backpacking in the United States and sharing her experiences on Instagram, where she documented her stays in Portland and Seattle.

Her father, Paul Burke, expressed concern in a Facebook post, stating that his daughter had no criminal record and was traveling to Canada when she was denied entry due to an "incorrect visa." She was subsequently refused re-entry into the U.S., classified as an "illegal alien," and detained by ICE.

Becky Burke (Paul Burke on FB)

ICE confirmed Burke's detention, stating that all individuals in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention, and removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not comment specifically on Burke's case but noted that individuals traveling under the Visa Waiver Program are prohibited from working for any type of compensation, including work in exchange for room and board.

Burke's Instagram account indicated her participation in Workaway, a cultural exchange program where participants help for about five hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation.

Dig deeper:

Abtin Bahador, an attorney with Ryan Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC, commented on the situation, stating, "The immigration laws are not something to ask forgiveness for later." Bahador suggested that while travelers are responsible for understanding the rules, the handling of Burke's case was heavy-handed. He added, "[CBP] could definitely show more compassion, more grace."

Bahador, who has served as a liaison with CBP in Washington State for the American Immigration Attorneys Association, believes CBP officers could have made a different decision regarding Burke.

"If the CBP officer at the border had wanted to, they could probably have arranged it to say, you know what? Do you have the financial ability to buy a plane ticket home? There's tons of flights every day out of SEATAC International Airport to Europe," Bahador said. "They could have placed her on that plane, let her go home, and voluntarily depart from the United States."

British tourist being held at Tacoma ICE detention center

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: A 28-year-old British woman who had been backpacking in the United States this winter is now locked up at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma

The Source: Information in this story comes from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), social media posts from Paul and Becky Burke and FOX 13 Seattle's original reporting.