A federal judge has ordered the release of Garnet Smith, a 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran and lawful permanent resident, after he spent nine months in detention at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Smith, who was born in Jamaica and later became a lawful permanent resident of the United States, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an enforcement operation in Spokane in October 2025.
Smith entered the United States in 1998 and obtained lawful permanent resident status the following year before serving honorably in the U.S. Army. Court documents indicate that his detention stemmed from prior criminal convictions, including domestic violence offenses, which made him subject to immigration removal proceedings despite his military service.