British tourist arrested and detained at Tacoma ICE center after exchanging housework for lodging

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have arrested a tourist from the United Kingdom and have detained her at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.

Initial reports imply her alleged offense involves doing chores for host families in exchange for a roof over her head.

Rebecca (Becky) Burke, 28, is known in the comic book scene as a London-based artist who frequently posts autobiographical comic strips. She also produces zines and is often found at comic cons and art fests around the UK. For the past couple months, she has been on a backpacking trip through North America.

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"I've left my house share in London, and I'm waiting to get on a flight to Iceland. From there, I'm exploring North America and Canada," Burke wrote in a Jan. 1 post on Instagram. "I hope for lots of time in nature, time to rediscover myself. Thanks for friends who have helped me whilst I've been falling. I need to listen to myself now!"

According to her family, an issue with Burke's visa prevented her entrance into Canada on Feb. 28. When she was turned around and re-entered the United States, ICE arrested Burke and sent her to the detention facility in Tacoma.

ICE confirmed that it is holding Burke at the Tacoma processing center, "related to the violation of the terms and conditions of her admission. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention, and if found removable by final order, removal from the United States regardless of nationality."

The BBC reports Burke flew to New York, then Portland, Ore., in early January. She stayed with a host family in Portland, doing household chores in exchange for the place to stay. She then traveled to Seattle in late February and intended to cross the border to Vancouver, B.C.

Speaking with the BBC, Burke said Canadian border officials thought she was trying to work illegally in that country and denied her entry. At the border, she said she watched officials debate for hours over whether what she did in the states (exchanging chores for accommodations) was considered work. Ultimately, officials concluded she violated her visa.

According to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson, generally speaking, "Individuals who travel to the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program are not allowed to work for any type of compensation. That includes work in exchange for room and board."

One of Burke's Instagram posts about her North American travel references a company called Workaway. The platform connects travelers with host families or organizations across the world with the idea that they volunteer or provide help in exchange for a place to stay. Workaway describes its system as a "cultural exchange."

While using Workaway to search for host families in the U.S., the website states, "If you are NOT a US CITIZEN and are planning to visit to work, volunteer, or study, YOU WILL NEED THE CORRECT VISA. To find out more information you need to contact the embassy in your home country BEFORE traveling." A similar message appears when searching for hosts in Canada. This notification pops up for some countries but not all.

On March 8, Burke's father, Paul Burke, posted a plea for help on Facebook. She had been held in Tacoma for 10 days by that time.

"Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington," Paul Burke wrote.

Since she was arrested at the border, he said his daughter has been sharing a cell at the Tacoma facility. Since she is vegan and eats cold rice, potatoes, and beans. Communication is limited.

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The CBP spokesperson said the agency cannot discuss specific cases because of privacy concerns. The spokesperson said every traveler at a U.S. port of entry is subject to inspection, and there are 60 grounds of inadmissibility.

"CBP officers treat all travelers with integrity, respect, professionalism, and according to law. ... In the event a foreign national is found inadmissible to the United States, CBP will provide the foreign national an opportunity to procure travel to his or her home country. If the foreign national is unable to do so, he or she will be turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) for repatriation."

Speaking to the BBC, Rebecca Burke said she was issued a "jumper" in the detention center, a place she describes as cold. They keep her and more than 100 other detainees on a strict schedule. Supplies, like blankets, are limited. She has one towel.

"They keep saying in all their booklets that this is not a prison," she told the BBC. "It's hard to distinguish from my conception of a prison."

The ICE detention center in Tacoma has been the subject of local controversy over the years. The privately-run facility houses people as their immigration cases proceed or they await deportation. Numerous hunger strikes have been reported at the facility over alleged poor treatment and conditions. Numerous deaths have been reported at the center, including in March and October of 2024.

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The center has previously denied state regulators access to the building, despite a state law mandating inspections. At the congressional level, Washington Democratic Sen. Patty Murray has pushed for an outside investigation into the ICE center in Tacoma.

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In January, a federal court ordered the detention facility to pay its detainees Washington's minimum wage. The center was also ordered to provide $23 million in back pay. Also this year, a lawsuit was filed challenging the Trump administration's halting of a legal orientation program for immigrants at detention centers. The 20-year program established by Congress provides basic legal information.

KUOW has reached out to Workaway and Burke's family for comment but did not hear back before publication.