A Danish man who has called Mississippi home for over a decade is being held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana after what his wife calls a “paperwork miscommunication” during his effort to become a U.S. citizen.

Kasper Juul Eriksen, 32, has been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since April 15, when he arrived at a Memphis, Tennessee immigration office for a naturalization interview. Eriksen, who has lived in the U.S. since 2013 and worked steadily as a welder, was taken into custody without warning, according to his wife, Savannah Eriksen.

Kasper first came to the U.S. in 2009 as a high school exchange student in Starkville, Mississippi, where he met Savannah. The couple maintained a long-distance relationship after he returned to Denmark and later reunited, marrying in 2014 and settling in the small town of Sturgis, Mississippi. They now have four children, with a fifth due in August.

Savannah said the arrest came as a complete shock. “Kasper was detained for a paperwork miscommunication from 2015, and I was sent home with no explanation and no idea where my husband had been transported,” she said in a statement.

The issue reportedly centers on an application to remove conditions on Eriksen’s residency, a form required for immigrants married to U.S. citizens. Savannah said they had never been alerted to a problem with the paperwork, either through official communications or during any of Kasper’s previous interviews.

It wasn’t until later that Savannah learned her husband was being held at LaSalle Detention Center in Jena, Louisiana, over 300 miles away.

Describing the chaos and fear of that day, Savannah said, “To say I couldn’t control my emotions would be an understatement. The next 24 hours were the most frightening and stressful I have ever experienced, as I pined for my husband and some kind of communication to confirm his safety and whereabouts.”

Attorneys representing Kasper have filed petitions for his release and met with him on May 15 to review his case. A judge will ultimately decide whether he can be released, though no court date has been scheduled yet.

The detainment comes amid broader immigration crackdowns under President Donald Trump’s second term. Immigrants like Eriksen—who entered legally and are in the process of naturalization—have also been caught up in ICE enforcement.

Savannah emphasized her husband’s contributions to their community. “Kasper is a fully integrated, productive member of society. He has an impeccable work ethic, holds a driver’s license, and has paid taxes since he began working.”

She added that, despite his commitment to the American dream, “he never forgets his family and friends. He spends time with us and takes the time to give each of his children the attention and fatherly love they deserve.”

Support for the Eriksen family has come from both sides of the Atlantic, with loved ones in Mississippi and Denmark offering prayers, emotional support, and financial help as the family navigates the uncertainty surrounding Kasper’s case.

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