German Tattoo Artist Detained, Faces Uncertain Future in US Immigration Battle

SAN DIEGO, CA – Jessica Brösche, a 26-year-old German tattoo artist, has been held in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center for over a month after being denied entry at the San Diego border on January 25. Brösche attempted to cross into the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico, with her American friend, Amelia Lofving, but was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.

Brösche was traveling with her tattoo equipment, possessing her German passport, a visa waiver confirmation, and a return ticket to Berlin. However, she was singled out for secondary inspection at the border, where CBP accused her of planning to violate the terms of her visa waiver by working as a tattoo artist in Los Angeles.

In a phone interview from the detention center, Brösche expressed her desperation: “I just want to get home, you know? I’m really desperate,” she told ABC 10News.

Lofving, who had recently moved to Los Angeles, met Brösche in Tijuana with plans to travel together. “We were going to travel to Los Angeles, but Jessica never made it,” Lofving stated. After being detained at the border, Brösche was transferred to the Otay Mesa detention center, where she has endured difficult conditions.

Reports indicate that Brösche was held in solitary confinement for eight days, a situation Lofving described as akin to “a horror movie.” She recounted Brösche’s experience of hearing screams from other rooms and becoming so distressed that she began punching the walls until her knuckles bled. “After nine days, she said she went so insane that she started punching the walls,” Lofving revealed.

Lofving became increasingly concerned for her friend’s well-being and sought to have Brösche sent back to Mexico. However, ICE agents informed her that Brösche’s lack of legal residency would lead to her deportation back to Germany. Lofving reached out to the German consulate in Los Angeles for assistance, but initially struggled to locate where Brösche was being held.

After a lengthy 25 days of uncertainty, Lofving finally located Brösche using the federal Detainee Locator website, enabling her to visit her friend in custody. Currently, Brösche remains detained at the Otay Mesa center, with her fate uncertain.

The conditions of her detention reflect broader concerns regarding the treatment of immigrants and detainees in the United States. Immigrant advocates and attorneys express concern regarding the arbitrary nature of detentions, especially under the current political climate. Over 42,000 individuals are currently in ICE custody, many without a criminal history and facing similar harsh conditions.

This case has sparked public outrage and discussions about immigration enforcement practices. Lofving’s efforts to publicize Brösche’s plight have resonated on social media, with many advocating for her release and questioning the legitimacy of her detention.