ICE Holds Polish Green‑Card Holder in Kentucky Over Decades‑Old Shoplifting

Beata Siemionkowicz, a Polish citizen who entered the United States legally in 1995 and obtained a green card in 2003, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Campbell County Detention Center in Newport, Kentucky for nearly a year. The detention follows her August 2025 arrest in Des Plaines, Illinois, and is based on shoplifting arrests from September 2005 and October 2011, as well as a 2001 allegation that she forged documents to obtain immigration benefits.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials have classified her as a “criminal alien” and an immigration judge issued a removal order in December 2025. Siemionkowicz’s daughters, Claudia (25) and Gabi (21), have launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal costs and have appealed the order with the help of U.S. Senator Dick Durbin, who is coordinating with DHS on her case.