Godfrey Wade, a U.S. Army veteran and tennis coach who had lived in Georgia for decades, was deported to Jamaica recently after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in September following a traffic stop.
What’s Happening:
Wade, who served in the Army’s 7th Infantry Division in Germany in the 1980s, was pulled over and detained by ICE on Sept. 13 for a traffic violation. He spent time at the Atlanta ICE detention facility before being transferred to the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin on Sept. 21. His family confirmed Monday that he has been deported to Jamaica.
Wade came to the United States from Jamaica as a teenager on a green card as a permanent resident. His son, Christian Wade, said his father enlisted in the Army as a young man and served honorably, receiving multiple recognitions.
What’s Important:
Wade is the father of six U.S. citizen children and grandfather to three U.S. citizen granddaughters. He worked as a chef at Braves Stadium and the Georgia State Capitol and spent years teaching tennis to students of all ages.
His family hired an attorney who filed a motion to temporarily halt deportation. They were waiting for a judge to review the case when the deportation occurred.
How This Affects Real People:
Wade’s fiancée, a U.S. citizen, has been left without his financial and emotional support. His family launched a GoFundMe campaign to cover legal expenses and household costs during his detention.
Christian Wade said his father was denied a bed for weeks at Stewart Detention Center, which is the largest ICE detention facility in the country. The facility’s total capacity is 1,752 people, but as of spring 2025, the number of detainees was reported to exceed 2,300.
What We Know:
Wade came to the U.S. legally as a permanent resident and served in the military. His family said he maintained a clean record and was a dedicated father, grandfather, and community member.
The Stewart Detention Center is privately run by CoreCivic and managed by ICE. Georgia saw the fourth most ICE raids in the country in 2025, resulting in more than 8,000 people being taken into custody.
What’s Still Unknown:
ICE has not released information about the specific circumstances of Wade’s detention or deportation. The agency did not respond to questions about why a veteran with permanent resident status and a family of U.S. citizens was deported.
