Kenyan Trucker Recounts Three-Week ICE Detention After Routine Cargo Stop

A Kenyan truck driver living in the United States has described how he spent three weeks in immigration detention after being arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a routine cargo trip through Virginia.

James Wambui shared his experience during an online interview with another Kenyan truck driver. He said he was stopped at a weigh station in Middletown, Virginia, while transporting cargo to South Carolina. According to Wambui, a local sheriff examined his logbook and driving licence before handing the documents to ICE officers who were waiting nearby. 

While more than 40 other drivers were allowed to continue their journeys, he was taken into custody and transferred to the Farmville Detention Center, about six hours away in rural Virginia. Wambui said the arrest came after he had passed a border patrol inspection in Texas and completed deliveries in New York. 

He remained in detention for three weeks, leaving him unable to work while his immigration case continued. He also said he had spent nearly KSh6.5 million (US$50,000) on legal fees and immigration documents. 

He urged other immigrants not to rely only on court-appointed lawyers or sign documents without first seeking independent legal advice. “Do not agree to a pro bono lawyer. Look for your own lawyer and do not sign any documents, so you can have a better chance of release,” he said.

He said his release was eventually secured because of a pending marriage-based immigration petition, an asylum application and his marriage to a US citizen. However, he said ICE kept his driving licence, work permit, Social Security card and other personal belongings, preventing him from returning to work while his case remains before the courts.

Wambui's account comes as the Department of Homeland Security continues to expand immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, the department updated its “Worst of the Worst” database, identifying 45 Kenyan nationals among undocumented immigrants prioritised for removal because of criminal records.