Indiana prison holds US citizen whom ICE wants to deport to Jamaica

Phillip James sits in a maximum-security cell in Bunker Hill, Indiana, hundreds of miles from the Florida home where he grew up. The 39-year-old man is currently in federal custody after immigration officials issued an order to deport him to Jamaica. However, Jamaican authorities have searched their national archives, civil registries, and identity databases and found no record of his birth or citizenship. To the Jamaican government, James is a stranger.

An Associated Press investigation published in October 2026 detailed the legal and medical complexities of James' case. The dispute centers on a conflict between federal documents that list him as a US citizen and the immigration system's determination that he is an undocumented foreign national. James has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a condition that specialists say makes his memory and self-identification unreliable.

James' legal team has assembled documents that support his US citizenship. These include a birth certificate issued in Orange County, Florida, in 1987, and a 1988 court record regarding a paternity proceeding. His biological mother has also provided sworn testimony supporting these records. The US Department of State issued James his first passport in 2008 after verifying that birth certificate. In 2023, federal authorities approved a second passport after he changed his name legally in New York.

Despite these documents, the Department of Homeland Security has sought to revoke his status. The agency claims his birth certificate is fraudulent but has not released public evidence or expert testimony to prove that claim. James' condition has complicated the legal proceedings. Medical evaluations note that his active psychosis and delusional beliefs often lead him to tell conflicting stories about his past.

During a July 2025 interview with ICE agents, James was asked to explain how he could have a Florida birth certificate if he believed he was born in Jamaica. He responded, 'Until this day, I don't understand it.' Immigration officials interpreted this confusion as an admission of inconsistency. His medical team argued that his contradictions were symptoms of his illness, not deliberate deception.

James' legal troubles began in December 2025, when he received a notice to appear in immigration court in New York. On January 5, 2026, armed ICE officers arrested him as he left the courthouse. He lacked a court-appointed attorney, a right not guaranteed in deportation proceedings for those who cannot afford private counsel. In April 2026, an immigration judge ruled in favor of the government, ordering his removal to Jamaica.

Following the ruling, James was transferred to the Miami Detention Center in Bunker Hill, Indiana. The facility is a state prison converted to hold up to 1,000 federal detainees under a contract with the federal government. The state of Indiana is set to receive $213 million over two years for the arrangement. The federal government pays a daily rate of $291 for each detainee held there, compared to the average national rate of $92.

Attorneys from Bronx Defenders, a legal aid organization in New York, reviewed James' file and identified the discrepancy. On August 19, they filed a federal habeas corpus petition asking for his immediate release. They also appealed the deportation order to the Board of Immigration Appeals. Legal experts, including Deborah Fleischaker, former chief of staff at ICE, have noted that the evidence for James' citizenship appears strong. Jacqueline Stevens, a political science professor at Northwestern University, said the case reflects a broader pattern of US citizens being detained by immigration agencies.

James remains in custody in Indiana while the federal court reviews his petition. The detention center has faced complaints regarding overcrowding and medical care. Two detainees have died in custody at the facility. The federal government continues to hold James pending the outcome of the habeas corpus case.