Zimbabwean Green Card Holder’s Traumatic ICE Experience Sparks Therapy Plans

Charity Grace Mukamuri, a 43-year-old green card holder, has shared her story of detention with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing a traumatic experience that has left her striving to rebuild her life. Mukamuri was released from ICE custody on June 3, after being held at the Camp East Montana detention facility in El Paso, Texas. Her account contributes to a Newsweek investigation into conditions at the facility during her stay from late 2025 to mid-2026. She reported worsening conditions and alleged retaliation following external sharing of information.

Mukamuri expressed mixed feelings about her release, stating, “I feel a sense of relief that my process is done…but at the same time, I’m really struggling to cope.” She acknowledged the joy of reuniting with her family but voiced concerns for friends still detained. Newsweek has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for comment.

Mukamuri, originally from Zimbabwe, moved to the United States in 2001 on a student visa to attend Victory Bible College. Although DHS previously accused her of cruelty toward children, the agency declined to provide further details. Her family asserts that she has no criminal record and holds a valid green card.

A DHS spokesperson had previously noted, “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law—including cruelty towards children—you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.”

Mukamuri’s release followed a court process that mandated immigration authorities to free her within 24 hours. On June 2, Immigration Judge Stephen Ruhle of the Executive Office for Immigration Review at the El Paso SPC Immigration Court decided she was removable under the Immigration and Nationality Act but granted her application for cancellation of removal for lawful permanent residents. This allowed her to stay in the United States, and both parties waived a formal written decision.

After release, she was transported to a shelter before reconnecting with her family. Recapping the emotional reunion, she stated she was excited to be free but confronted with uncertainties about the future.

Mukamuri plans to seek therapy with her family to cope with the impact of detention. “We have been talking about going into therapy, and we’re going to need that therapy,” Mukamuri said. “And we have a lot of rebuilding to do because over the course of time, there are a lot of things that we have had to let go.”

Previously, Mukamuri ran the Isaiah 54 Project, a nonprofit providing meals to Tulsa’s homeless community. She was pulled over on August 27, 2025, while driving from Tulsa to Jenks, Oklahoma, and subsequently taken into federal custody, moving through multiple facilities.

Mukamuri described her transfer from Tulsa County Jail to the Blue Bonnet detention center for a night, followed by a week at the Prairieland facility. Eventually, she was flown to Camp East Montana, where she spent several months before being moved to the El Paso Processing Center.

Her account reveals a lack of meaningful legal progress early in her detention and limited access to her attorney, taking about two and a half months to secure final contact. By January, inadequate conditions at the facility prompted detainees to share experiences with Newsweek.

After publication, drawing attention to camp conditions, Mukamuri stated that staff began identifying those involved and allegedly accused her of ties with congressional staffers to discredit her. She strongly denied the claims.

Following the articles and recordings, Mukamuri reported intimidation and threats of harassment from staff. “I didn’t feel safe communicating with anyone.” She noted that her belongings were searched and damaged.

She remains focused on rebuilding her life and advocating for others she met in detention, feeling compelled to speak out to affirm detainees’ experiences. “My heart breaks because I know the conditions that they are living in,” she said. Mukamuri believes sharing these stories is crucial, asserting, “At least the word is out…at least the world knows that whatever they are hearing, it is true.”

Newsweek editors John Fitzpatrick and Tony Phillips contributed to this story.