A man who was born on a U.S. military base in Germany has been deported to Jamaica—a country he has no ties to and has never even set foot in.
Jermaine Thomas, born in 1986, spent much of his childhood moving from one military base to another alongside his father—a Jamaican-born U.S. service member who earned his citizenship during an 18-year military career. Following his parents’ divorce, Thomas moved to Florida to live with his dad. Sadly, his father passed away in 2010, not long after Thomas returned to live with him.
In the years that followed, Thomas fell on hard times. He experienced homelessness in Texas and had multiple run-ins with the law. But things took a dramatic turn when the government argued in court that Thomas was not a U.S. citizen, despite being born on a U.S. Army base in Germany.
Deportation Based on Technicality and Past Convictions
Court documents from 2015 show that the U.S. Department of Justice argued that Thomas didn’t qualify for citizenship under the law in effect at the time of his birth. Their reasoning? His father “did not meet the physical presence requirement of the statute” necessary to pass on citizenship.
The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, but in another blow to Thomas, the high court refused to hear his appeal, allowing the deportation to proceed.
Authorities also cited his prior criminal convictions as part of their justification for deportation, a move that Thomas and others argue unfairly compounded his situation.
From Eviction Notice to ICE Detention
Thomas said the entire deportation process started after receiving an eviction notice. While packing up his belongings, he was arrested for trespassing, which led to a deeper spiral. While in jail, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flagged his case and transferred him to a detention facility in Houston, where he spent over two months awaiting his fate.
He described the experience as “surreal” and “unfair,” stating that he never imagined ending up in a country where he had no family, no friends, and no understanding of the local culture or systems.
Now in Jamaica, He’s Alone and Uncertain
Now in Kingston, Jamaica, Thomas is temporarily living in a hotel—unsure of what comes next. With no support network and no knowledge of the country, he’s struggling to find his footing.
