Imagine landing at Logan International Airport after a sun-soaked family vacation in Mexico. You’ve got your three young daughters in tow, your husband by your side, and your legal permanent resident card—which was just renewed a month ago—safely in your bag. You’re home. Or so you think.
For Jemmy Jimenez Rosa, a 42-year-old dental insurance coordinator from Canton, Massachusetts, this homecoming turned into a ten-day nightmare that felt more like a kidnapping than a border screening.
Basically, the system failed her. Hard.
The Day Everything Went Sideways
It was August 11, 2025. Jemmy, who moved to the U.S. from Peru when she was only nine, was doing what any Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) does at Customs. She handed over her paperwork. But instead of a "welcome home," she got pulled into a back room. Her husband, Marcel Rosa, a U.S. citizen, watched as the spirit seemed to just drain out of her.
The reason? A 22-year-old misdemeanor.
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When Jemmy was a 20-year-old college student, she pleaded guilty to a minor marijuana possession charge. She did her probation. She moved on with her life. She’d traveled internationally many times since then without a single hitch. But this time, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) decided that two-decade-old mistake was enough to trigger "mandatory detention."
Behind the Closed Doors of Logan Airport
What happened next is honestly hard to read. Jemmy isn't just a mom; she’s a patient. She lives with high blood pressure and diabetes, and she requires daily medication for mental health conditions. According to her family and her attorney, Todd Pomerleau, she was held at Logan for four days in what can only be described as "black site" conditions.
- No phone calls. Her family had no idea where she was or if she was even alive for a chunk of time.
- No medication. Her blood pressure spiked so high she had to be hospitalized twice.
- No hygiene. She allegedly went days without being allowed to shower or even access basic menstrual products.
- No legal access. Her attorney was reportedly told he couldn't see her or even let her know he was there.
The government’s excuse? Congressman Stephen Lynch was told she "didn't request a phone call." He later called that a "weak excuse," noting that agents have an obligation to inform people of their rights, especially when they're being held for nearly a week in an airport basement.
Shuffled Like Cargo
Eventually, the feds moved her. Because Massachusetts apparently had no "open beds" for female detainees, they shipped her up to the Cumberland County Jail in Portland, Maine.
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The conditions didn't get much better. Marcel Rosa described cells with leaks and the sound of rats in the walls. Jemmy, despite her own trauma, ended up acting as a translator for other Spanish-speaking women who were just as lost as she was.
While she was locked up, her attorney was busy in the local courts. He challenged that original 2003 marijuana conviction, arguing that Jemmy hadn't been properly advised of the immigration consequences when she took the plea back then. A judge and a prosecutor agreed. The case was vacated. Her record was wiped clean.
Yet, she stayed in a cell.
The Release: A Bittersweet Ending
It took a federal lawsuit and a mountain of media pressure from outlets like 25 Investigates to get the gears moving. On August 20, 2025, Jemmy was finally driven back to Burlington, Massachusetts, and released.
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She was dropped off in the pouring rain near a Cheesecake Factory. She had to borrow a cell phone from a stranger to call her family because she had nothing. When Pomerleau finally picked her up, he said she was "shattered" and could barely stand.
Why This Matters for Every Green Card Holder
This isn't just one "bad luck" story. It highlights a massive, terrifying gap in how the U.S. treats its legal residents. CBP claims that a Green Card is a "privilege, not a right," and they use that logic to justify detaining people for decades-old, non-violent offenses.
Honestly, the "mandatory detention" rules are draconian. If you're a Lawful Permanent Resident, you might think you're safe once your card is renewed. But Jemmy’s case proves that the system's memory is long and its empathy is short.
What to Do If You're in This Position
If you or a loved one are traveling on a Green Card and have any criminal record—even a "small" one from twenty years ago—don't wing it.
- Consult an immigration attorney before you leave the country. A simple "Traveler Redress Inquiry Program" (TRIP) check isn't always enough. You need to know if your specific conviction triggers the "inadmissibility" statutes.
- Carry your lawyer's number on paper. If your phone is confiscated, you need that number memorized or written down.
- Don't sign anything. Agents might pressure you to sign a Form I-407, which is a voluntary abandonment of your legal permanent resident status. Never sign this without a lawyer.
- File for citizenship. If you are eligible for naturalization, do it. Once you are a U.S. citizen, the government cannot detain or deport you based on old misdemeanors.
Jemmy is home now, but the trauma for her three daughters—who spent ten days crying for "mommy"—isn't going to vanish overnight. This case serves as a loud, clear warning: the border is a place where your rights can suddenly become very, very thin.
Actionable Step: If you have an old conviction, contact a specialized immigration attorney to review your "Record of Proceedings" before your next international flight. It's better to lose the ticket money than your freedom.