He was born on a U.S. military base, but was deported to a country he never set foot in

Jermaine Thomas always believed he was American. Born on a U.S. military base in Frankfurt, Germany, to a father who served more than a decade in the Army repairing helicopters, the 39-year-old was raised in the United States from the age of three. His father became a U.S. citizen in 1984, two years before Thomas was born. For most of his life, his citizenship was something he never questioned.

Deported to Jamaica, despite no ties

In May, however, Thomas, shackled at the wrists and ankles, was forced, “like a fugitive” onto a plane bound for Jamaica, a country where he has no legal status, no family ties, and had never set foot before.

In February, Thomas, who has a history of criminal convictions, including drug possession, theft, and a recent DUI-related prison sentence, was evicted from his apartment in Killeen, Texas and arrested on a misdemeanor trespassing charge.

After spending 30 days in jail, he assumed he would be released but was instead handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and sent to a detention center. That was where he was informed he would be deported to Jamaica, the country of his father’s birth.

Not American despite being born on U.S. military base

Ultimately, however, it was determined Thomas was a stateless man. In 2015, an appeals court ruled that U.S. military bases abroad are not “in the United States” for birthright citizenship purposes.

Adding to the complexity, Thomas’s father didn’t meet the legal residency requirement for passing on citizenship at the time of his birth. Under U.S. law, his father would have needed to have lived in the U.S. for 10 years—he had only lived there for nine, including his military service. If Thomas had been born just one year later, he would have qualified automatically.

As a result, Thomas wasn’t a citizen of the U.S., despite his father’s American citizenship. Not German, even though he was born on a U.S. military base in Germany. Not Jamaican, even though his father was born there. And not Kenyan, despite his mother’s nationality.

Life after deportation to Jamaica: “Constantly on edge”

Now staying in a homeless shelter in Kingston and unable to work or access services due to his lack of legal status, Thomas describes life in Jamaica as isolating and hopeless.

“I keep thinking I’ll wake up in my bed back home,” he said. “But I’m still here. And it’s real. I’m always hungry, exhausted, constantly on edge. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know anybody here.”

Speaking to CNN, his family back in the U.S., some of whom are not citizens themselves, revealed they fear visiting him in Jamaica in case they’re blocked from returning. They keep in touch through social media messages, but they have no idea about when they’ll see each other in person again. “All I want is to know when I can go back,” said Thomas.

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