Edward Lee Stinton, known as Lee, was initially subjected to a traffic stop by police in Key West \u2014 part of the Florida Keys \u2014 while cycling on his way to work at a hair salon.<\/p>\n
However, officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) soon detained him for not having his immigration documents at hand despite possessing the proper papers, according to his father.<\/p>\n
Belfast-born Lee (46) was transported almost four hours to a Miami detention centre housing a host of other ICE detainees where he has been left in limbo awaiting the outcome of his residency.<\/p>\n
The former British Hairdresser of The Year left his home for Florida over six years ago after marrying his US-born husband.<\/p>\n
His father, Edward, told Good Morning Ulster that Lee was on a working visa at the time and was on track to receive a Green Card.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast Thursday, we heard something went wrong,\u201d Edward explained. \u201cHe was going to work as normal on Thursday on his e-bike and he went through or, didn\u2019t go through \u2014 we\u2019re not sure of that yet \u2014 a stop sign.<\/p>\n
Edward continued by saying that Lee did not have his immigration papers on him and was subsequently transferred to Krome Detention Centre, where he has been held for almost a week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a vegan \u2014 he hasn\u2019t had food from last Thursday, he sleeps on a cold hard floor, no washing no change of clothes \u2014 his mum\u2019s out of her mind.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey won\u2019t tell [his attorney] how long he\u2019ll be there. If they find they\u2019re going to deport him \u2014 it\u2019s a holding centre, not a processing centre \u2014 they will send him to Texas to process him and then deport him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe silliest part about it [according to] his solicitor is that he could be deported, sent back home to here, there\u2019s a certain form you can fill in from here and you can go straight back to the US straight away.\u201d<\/p>\n