Screenshot of the headline of The Comics Beat article by Heidi MacDonald on the ICE detention of R.E. "Becky" Burke. Headline: "Cartoonist R.E. Burke detained by ICE on backpacking trip: Visa issues led to detention"
Facebook post by UK cartoonist R.E. Burke's father Paul Burke, asking for help and explaining what happened. Text:
"Urgent Appeal: Help Bring Becky Home
Our daughter Becky, a 28-year-old British tourist, has been caught up in the recent immigration crackdown in the US. What was meant to be a life-changing four-month backpacking trip across North America has turned into a nightmare. Becky has now been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for over ten days, with no clear timeline for her release.
On February 26th, Becky attempted to cross the Canadian border for the next leg of her journey. Unfortunately, due to an incorrect visa, she was denied entry into Canada. When she tried to return to the US, she was refused re-entry and classified as an "illegal alien." Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.
Becky’s current conditions are deeply concerning. She is sharing a cell, surviving on a diet of cold rice, potatoes, and beans (she is vegan), and has limited access to phone calls. Visitors are restricted to speaking through a glass screen via telephone. All her possessions have been confiscated, and she feels isolated and desperate to come home.
We are doing everything we can. Our local MP has contacted David Lammy’s office, and we are in touch with the British Consulate in London and San Francisco. An American friend is helping by sending funds to her inmate account so she can buy basic necessities like tea and milk. However, progress has been slow, and we urgently need more support.
We are asking for your help. Please share Becky’s story widely through your networks. We hope to connect with experts, legal professionals, or anyone who can offer advice or assistance. Becky is a kind, adventurous young woman who simply wants to return home to her family.
Thank you for your support."
Screenshot of the beginning of The Comics Beat article by Heidi MacDonald on the ICE detention of UK cartoonist R.E. "Becky" Burke. Text:
"British cartoonist R.E. (Becky) Burke was on a four month backpacking trip around North America but has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Her father, Paul Burke posted an appeal for help on Facebook. Burke attempted to cross over into Canada from the US on February 26th, but was denied because of a visa issue, and after returning to the US was arrested as an “illegal alien” and is now in detention in Tacoma.
Burke is known in the comics community, setting up at Thought Bubble, writing for Broken Frontier and making some pretty good comics. Her Instagram is as typical and normal as a cartoonists IG can be, including some now devastating photos of the earlier carefree good times on her trip. Her last post was about the joys of travel."
British cartoonist R.E. "Becky" Burke has been detained by ICE since February 26, in a Tacoma, WA detention facility. ICE appears to be going after artists because they might try to make art in the US, or sell their art? Comics folks, we need to protect our own. www.comicsbeat.com/cartoonist-r...
