Jermaine Thomas is a 39-year-old man raised in the United States. He was born on a US Army base in Germany. He is living the reality of incomprehensible immigration law that has been left open to interpretation and which has caused havoc in his life as he is deported to Jamaica.
Thomas was born to a Jamaican father and a Kenyan mother while his father served in the US Army. During his service, his father was granted citizenship, but since they moved a lot, all over the globe, due to his father’s job, it would be 11 years before Thomas would finally get settled in mainland America.
https://youtu.be/tJhQ1Hy3Lik?si=7Y34-GT__KbiJnAI
It was years prior to the immigration law being so strict and stringent, and Thomas’ case fell through the cracks. Due to incomplete documentation and the failure to file a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), Thomas’s parents never secured legal recognition of his US citizenship.
And now he is being deported to Jamaica, to his father’s birth country. A country where Thomas has never been to, where he is unaware of the local language, culture and without any job prospects.
His case has become symbolic of the growing tension between strict enforcement policies and the complexities of citizenship, especially for children born abroad to military families.
Thomas’s life was uprooted due to a series of events which began with a minor incident. He was evicted from his home in Killeen, Texas, and then he got arrested for trespassing. A misdemeanour for which he served 30-day jail sentences and was then transferred to an ICE facility.
ICE deports Texas man—he was born on U.S. military base to father serving in Army.
He doesn’t hold citizenship in any country—so just deported to Jamaica.
His birthright citizenship case was even brought before Supreme Court—but not taken up.
“Google my name,” he begged guards… pic.twitter.com/vf88Z8dm6L
— LongTime🤓FirstTime👨💻 (@LongTimeHistory) June 30, 2025
When it turned out there was a lack of formal citizenship documents, it triggered the reinstatement of removal orders for Thomas, which ended with him being in a new country and no future.
Thomas was born on a US military base. It is a factor that many assume guarantees citizenship. However, as it turns out, that is not enough. US law requires more documentation and filings. These requirements are that the parent must have five years of physical presence in the US. Out of these 5 years, at least two of those years were after
the age of 14.
Thomas’s father did not meet that requirement at the time of his son’s birth, which led the courts to determine that Jermaine was not a US citizen.
Jermaine Thomas’ deportation to Jamaica is a unique story. AG Loretta Lynch argued that case.
His Mother was a Citizen of Kenya and his Father was a citizen of Jamaica. His Father was serving the United States on a military base in Germany when he was born.
It was under Former… https://t.co/b5dJTRNqBA pic.twitter.com/uY3A01RCq2
— Kristi L. Talmadge (@KristiTalmadge) July 2, 2025
In a 2015 Supreme Court case (Thomas v. Lynch), the justices upheld his deportation order as they cited these technical requirements.
Thomas’s deportation to Kingston, Jamaica, has left him stranded in an unfamiliar country. He has no family there, no job prospects and not even a legal roadmap as to what he should be doing next.
He is currently staying in a hotel, uncertain of what the future holds for him. Thomas is living the mistakes of his parents’ making. He didn’t cross a border or sneak in. He was born on a US military base. His story sheds light on technicalities and bureaucratic oversights and how they can devastate lives, especially for individuals connected to military families.
Thomas talked with Chronicles about his fears and apprehensions of moving to a country that he knows nothing about and how he felt betrayed by his own country. Thomas told them how he felt suicidal before that seemed easier than facing what was in-store for him.
“I’m looking out the window on the plane,” Thomas said , “and I’m hoping the plane crashes and I die.”
He has been deported from the only country he has ever known, and the emotional toll of such an incident is profound.
Without a support system, Thomas has described his life and experience as isolating and destabilising. He has appealed for understanding that it was not his fault. He wasn’t even aware of the lack of paperwork or errors.
Jermaine Thomas is a 3 time convicted felon who was born in Germany to Jamaican immigrants
His parents were never American
He is clearly not Black American
Stop allowing people to blatantly lie to you in an attempt to fear monger you! #Delineation
Source: https://t.co/qmhslGBS3r https://t.co/079HM2gYMZ pic.twitter.com/i17xFs5sXL— Black American Heritage (@TBATTaskforce) June 28, 2025
The Department of Homeland Security, however, is justifying its actions and has labelled Thomas as a violent criminal and illegal alien. They have cited his past convictions, including domestic violence.
This narrative aligns with public safety priorities, but it also raises concerns about fairness and proportionality. Critics argue that such cases expose flaws in immigration enforcement.
As debates over immigration intensify, Jermaine Thomas’s case reveals the urgent need for reform that acknowledges the human stories behind policy decisions.
