Georgia Army Veteran Deported to Jamaica After 50 Years in U.S. Following Traffic Stop
A Georgia Army veteran who resided in the United States for nearly five decades has been deported to Jamaica following a routine traffic stop, sparking outrage among his family and legal team. Godfrey Wade, who first arrived in the U.S. lawfully in 1975 as a teenager, was removed from the country this week after spending approximately five months in immigration detention.
The sequence of events leading to Wade’s deportation began on September 13, 2025, in Conyers, Georgia. Police pulled Wade over for failing to use a turn signal. During the stop, officers discovered he was driving without a license and placed him under arrest. Instead of a standard release or citation, Wade was transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Authorities cited a removal order from 2014 as the basis for his detention. The order stemmed from legal issues dating back nearly 20 years, including a 2006 simple assault charge and a 2007 bounced check. Wade’s attorney emphasized that the assault charge involved a domestic argument where no physical violence occurred, and noted that the bounced check and associated fines had been paid in full.
According to his legal representation, Wade was unaware of the 2014 removal order because hearing notices were sent to an incorrect address, resulting in the order being issued in absentia. Despite an appeal pending to reopen his case, his request for an emergency stay of removal was denied.
Wade was held at the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia before being transferred to the Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana, a facility often used as a staging ground for deportation flights. His family, including his fiancée April Watkins, six children, and three grandchildren, made frequent five-hour trips to visit him, communicating through plexiglass barriers.
Speaking from Jamaica via video conference, Wade expressed that his primary concern is now for other veterans who might face similar circumstances. “It’s not about Godfrey Wade, it’s really about the next veteran, and the next person who really doesn’t have the opportunity to articulate that, ‘Hey, I need a fair hearing from the constitutional justice system of America,'” Wade said.
Wade served honorably in the U.S. Army shortly after arriving in the country. Following his service, he built a life in Covington, Georgia, working as a chef, tennis coach, and fashion designer. His family describes him as a pillar of his community who took deep pride in his military service.
“We’ve built an amazing life together, and to be separated like this is incredibly difficult, especially when he never truly had the opportunity to be heard,” said Watkins.
Local lawmakers have begun to scrutinize the case, with some questioning the prioritization of deporting a veteran with deep community ties and minor past infractions. As of Wednesday, Wade remains in Jamaica while his legal team continues to fight for his return to the United States.
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