U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Lorenzo Thompson, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant and Jamaican national, at Nashville International Airport on July 14, 2026, according to an ICE spokesperson. ICE said Thompson entered the United States in 2021 on a six-month visa and did not depart when it expired.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE said Thompson entered the United States from Jamaica in 2021 on a six-month visa and remained in the country after its expiration.
In a statement shared with CBS News Texas, an ICE spokesperson said Thompson was taken into custody “without incident” and will remain detained while immigration proceedings continue.
TWU Local 556, the union that represents Southwest flight attendants, said in a social media post that a member was detained while at work and that the union is communicating with Thompson’s family and working with legal counsel.
A GoFundMe page created by a friend, Kristin Foster, said Thompson came to the United States legally seeking safety from abuse and that he has no criminal record. The fundraiser also states that Thompson has a valid work visa or work permit and a pending asylum case. The Daily Wire reported the fundraiser had raised about $43,018 toward a $45,000 goal as of Thursday afternoon.
Separately, ICE has promoted a voluntary “self-deportation” option for some people in the country without legal status, saying eligible participants who arrange departure through the CBP Home app can receive a free flight and a $2,600 stipend. DHS materials and public statements about the program warn that those who do not leave voluntarily may be arrested and removed through enforcement proceedings.
