Cliona Ward, 54, a green-card holder, who has been living legally there for around 30 years, first ran into legal trouble in March after arriving back in the US from a trip to Ireland to visit her ill father in Youghal, Co Cork.

Ms Ward was detained and questioned by customs at the San Francisco airport over her past criminal record, which stretched between 2003 to 2008 and included some charges pertaining to the possession of drugs.