A Georgia Army veteran who spent nearly five decades in the United States was deported to Jamaica following a routine traffic stop, and now he’s sharing his story in hopes of sparking change for others in similar situations.
Godfrey Wade, a legal U.S. resident and Army veteran who first came to America in 1975, was detained after being pulled over for failing to use a turn signal and not carrying his driver’s license. What should have been a minor infraction quickly escalated, landing Wade in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and ultimately leading to his deportation — despite his honorable military service and long-standing ties to the U.S.
Speaking to CBS Atlanta over Zoom from Jamaica, Wade recounted the moment that changed everything: “On that particular Saturday morning, I didn’t have a license on me, so I knew just upon being stopped, it’s gonna be the officer’s discretion whether he releases me with just a fine or he’ll take me into jail.”
Instead of a routine citation, Wade was taken into custody and soon discovered he would not be allowed to post bond. “When you try to bond out, typically you pay a small fee of like $150 and you bond out,” he explained. “But ICE has now put a hold on the individual. So now it’s up to the discretion of those ICE officers moving forward.”
Wade was moved from a temporary detainment facility in Lumpkin County to a holding facility in Monroe, Louisiana. There, he waited in what he describes as a “holding zone pending air flight,” as ICE filled seats on a monthly charter deportation flight to Jamaica. “Once they get a full manifest, you are kept in Louisiana and they have a scheduling where the Airbus to Jamaica was the first week of each month,” Wade said.
Wade and his family say his case never appeared before an immigration judge because the original court order was sent to the wrong address — a bureaucratic error that left him with no chance to plead his case.
Now back in Jamaica, Wade is speaking out not just for himself, but for the countless others facing deportation without due process. “It’s not about Godfrey Wade, it’s really about the next veteran, and the next person who really doesn’t have the opportunity to articulate that, hey, I need a fair hearing from the constitutional justice system of America.”
Wade hopes his experience will bring attention to the vulnerabilities faced by veterans and legal residents caught in the immigration system. “There are thousands of people behind me who may be going through a similar situation,” he said, calling for reforms to ensure due process and fair hearings for all.
ICE has not responded to our request for comment on Wade’s deportation.
