Irish man detained by ICE at California airport after business trip
Sep 2, 2026San Jose, CAIreland
Michael "Sandy" Sims, 42, a lighting technician for the entertainment industry born in Ireland and raised in London, was detained by ICE agents at the San Jose airport as he arrived for a business trip on September 2. Sims, who is married to a U.S. citizen and had an approved I-130 petition toward a green card, is now held at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield, California. DHS claimed he faces a domestic battery charge in Nevada, but his wife and immigration lawyer say no record of such a charge exists and he has never been charged with a crime. Sims has worked in entertainment lighting since 2002, including on tours for Metallica, Usher, and Florence + the Machine.
