Edmonton-born man detained for 10 months by U.S. immigration returns to Canada
Curtis Wright, held at ICE detention facilities in Texas since November, was deported to Canada after an old drug conviction resurfaced; his two sons remain in the U.S.
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Curtis Wright arrived back in Canada last month after losing a legal battle to remain in the United States, where he had lived most of his life and fathered two sons.
Wright, 40, spent 10 months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across Texas after being taken into custody in November while returning from a work trip to Mexico. He said he endured terrible conditions in the freezing cold intake processing cells at the South Texas ICE Processing Centre, where detainees were addressed by their dorm and bunk numbers rather than their names. Food was poor and shower facilities grimy, he told reporters.
"The concrete that you're sitting on and laying on is colder than the air itself," Wright said in an interview from Kelowna, B.C.
When Wright returned from Mexico, immigration agents shackled and transported him away in the back of a van. An old conviction resurfaced—when he was 17, he had been convicted of drug possession after Xanax was found in his truck; he was ordered to serve probation and complete community service.
Wright moved to Houston in his youth and later worked in the oil and gas industry. He fought to remain in the United States to raise his sons, ages eight and 11, rather than self-deporting to Canada. He appealed his removal order after being told in February that he would be sent back, hoping the appeal might extend his time. After nine months in detention, he decided to end the fight in July, and his removal order was finalized.
"Can it be done from a different country? Sure, but that's going to be holidays and summers," Wright said about raising his sons from abroad. "It drastically reduces my time and my ability to, you know, connect and be their father."
Wright attributed the sudden enforcement action to U.S. President Donald Trump's heightened focus on deportation—an issue that hadn't surfaced in nearly 30 years despite his life in the country.
A spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement rejected claims that people at the South Texas facility are subjected to inhumane conditions, saying individuals in ICE custody are provided appropriate meals, drinking water, hygiene facilities and recreation access.
What specific details surround Wright's 1994 drug possession conviction and the circumstances that triggered ICE's action 30 years later?
How many other Edmonton-born or Alberta residents have been deported by ICE in the past year under similar circumstances?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How long was Curtis Wright detained by U.S. immigration?
Curtis Wright spent 10 months in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities across Texas after being taken into custody in November.
Why was Curtis Wright deported?
An old drug conviction resurfaced when Wright returned from Mexico. At age 17, he had been convicted of drug possession after Xanax was found in his truck.
When did Curtis Wright's removal order become final?
Wright's removal order was finalized in July after he decided to end his legal fight against deportation, which followed nine months in detention.
How many sons does Curtis Wright have in the United States?
Curtis Wright has two sons in the United States, ages eight and 11.
