A week into his detention, Astrid Senior, Schmidt’s mother, who lives in Lyndeborough, N.H., said the family was still seeking answers about why her son is being held.

“I’m feeling shaken up,” Senior said, stressing the point that her son was here legally. “It’s unbelievable what’s happening now.”

This case, involving the apprehension of a legal permanent resident with few answers available, is the latest instance of unusual immigration enforcement under the new Trump administration, which has pledged a hard line on immigration. Schmidt’s case is part of a wave of reports involving people with green cards or visas being detained by immigration authorities after returning from trips out of the country.

News of his arrest comes after a Rhode Island physician, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, who had traveled to Lebanon to see her parents, was prevented from re-entering the US at Logan on Thursday despite having a visa running through 2027. It also follows the recent arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a graduate student and outspoken figure during the Gaza war protests last spring at Columbia University, who was arrested last weekend at the behest of the Trump administration. His detention has generated national headlines and protests from progressives.

In the labyrinth of immigration law, each of these cases has slight but significant differences. Schmidt faced misdemeanor drug and drinking charges years ago and was allegedly flagged by immigration authorities for failing to show up to court in 2022, while Alawieh and Khalil do not appear to have criminal records in the country. Schmidt’s family says he has faced no new legal issues since he was granted a new green card, and that his failure to show up in court wasn’t an issue during the renewal process.

Schmidt and Alawieh’s cases also differ from Khalil’s because they were reentering the country, which put them in vulnerable positions, according to immigration attorney Heather Yountz of the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute. A visa is a request for entry, but does not guarantee it, and people entering on visas can be subject to additional screening. Someone with a green card can typically just present it and enter unless it’s flagged for some sort of violation.

“You are more vulnerable when you’re seeking to enter the United States than you are when you’re in the United States,” she said.

That’s why, she said, the actions against Khalil were shocking: He seemed to be stripped of his green card while in the US because of his political opinions.

“He was in a much more legally secure situation,” she said, noting that the constitutional right to free speech applies to everyone in the US.

People with work visas and green cards are heavily vetted, with background checks and fingerprinting, said Boston-based immigration attorney Annelise Araujo. To get a green card, applicants are checked against all the federal agencies to make sure there’s nothing that would make them inadmissible, which could include specific criminal issues or national-security concerns.

All three of these detentions, she said, are “going to have a chilling effect on who wants to come here, and who wants to study here, and who wants to work on our hospitals.”

US Customs and Border Protection would not provide answers about Schmidt’s case, citing federal privacy concerns. Border protection officers determine admissibility of foreign nationals on a case-by-case basis, according to the law, and treat travelers with professionalism, agency officials said.

“If statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and removal,” Hilton Beckham, assistant commissioner of public affairs, said in a statement Saturday.

No charging documents against Schmidt have yet been filed with the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review, which operates the immigration courts.

Schmidt, who works as an electrical engineer, was returning from a week-long trip visiting his father in Germany when he was stopped by immigration officials at Logan on March 7, his mother said.

Bhavani Hodgkins, Schmidt’s girlfriend, waited for hours for him to come out of the airport that night so they could return home to Nashua. Hodgkins said she eventually spoke with US Customs and Border Patrol officials who told her Schmidt was being held indefinitely and she should go home.

Hodgkins said she called for updates every day and was eventually told by immigration officials that Schmidt had been sent a letter in 2022 asking him to appear in court, why exactly is unclear. Schmidt never got the letter, Hodgkins said.

And his failure to appear in court was not flagged in 2023 when he applied and received a new green card, after misplacing his previous one, Hodgkins said.

“He was never informed there was problems,” Hodgkins said.

Most green cards are valid for 10 years.

According to his family, Schmidt has struggled with drug and alcohol addiction in the past. He has been charged with misdemeanors, including possession of a controlled substance, driving under the influence, hunting without a license, and failure to appear for jail, while he lived in California, according to court records.

Court records show that Schmidt has attended recovery programs, paid small fines, and was placed on probation to resolve his cases.

There are no current charges against him, Hodgkins said.

“He suffered from his own demons,” she said. But he went into rehab when he moved to New Hampshire in 2022 and has been “dedicated to his own sobriety,” Hodgkins said.

She and Senior said that Schmidt has complained about his treatment in detention. He fell ill while being held by immigration authorities and collapsed, they said.

Hodgkins said Schmidt told her that he was taken to the hospital in handcuffs and tested positive for the flu.

According to Massachusetts State Police, Schmidt was taken to a Boston hospital from the customs area of the international terminal at Logan Airport on Monday morning. Tim McGuirk, a spokesman for the State Police, said CBP officers accompanied him to the hospital “as they were not able to process the individual through customs” beforehand. He referred further questions to customs and border patrol officials.

Customs officials could not provide information Saturday afternoon about why Schmidt was taken to the hospital and where he was held between his scheduled arrival on March 7 and the hospital trip on March 10.

Schmidt was moved to the Wyatt Detention facility on Tuesday, his family said.

Officials with the German consulate in Boston have spoken to Schmidt’s families and authorities.

“The Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Boston is aware of the case and has been in close contact about it with the relevant US authorities as well as with the family of the concerned person,” a spokesman for the German Embassy in Washington.

“He was not given fair treatment,” Hodgkins said. “This is unjust and very painful for us as a family.”

Deirdre Fernandes can be reached at deirdre.fernandes@globe.com. Follow her @fernandesglobe. Sean Cotter can be reached at sean.cotter@globe.com. Follow him @cotterreporter. Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.

A New Hampshire man is facing a slew of charges after allegedly crashing a stolen car and running naked across travel lanes. 

Shawn P. Weiner Sr., 35, of Somersworth, was arrested on March 9 after multiple passing drivers called police to report a nude man traveling on foot on Route 16 in Dover just after 3:15 p.m. Officials said the incident caused an “interruption to traffic” on the busy travel lanes.

State troopers arrived at the scene and quickly arrested Weiner. Before the incident, Weiner allegedly crashed a car on Varney Road in Dover after the vehicle had been reported stolen in Somersworth, according to investigators.

Police said Weiner allegedly left the scene of the crash on foot and while fleeing, discarded his clothing on the shoulder of the highway before crossing all lanes. Investigators did not release information as to why Weiner removed his clothing.

Weiner was transported to an area hospital for treatment of minor injuries suffered in the crash.

Weiner was charged with indecent exposure and lewdness, reckless conduct, two counts of disorderly conduct, and littering.  Dover police also filed separate charges related to the crash.

The reported theft of the vehicle involved in the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information can contact Sgt. Matthew Locke at [email protected]. 

InDepthNH.org scans the websites of New Hampshire funeral homes each week and selects at random some of our friends, relatives and neighbors to feature in this column. The people listed here passed away during the previous weeks and have some public or charitable connection to their community. InDepthNH.org is now offering obituaries through the Legacy.com service. We view this as part of our public service mission. Click here or on the Obituaries tab at the top of our home page to learn more. And if you know of someone from New Hampshire who should be featured in this column, please send your suggestions to NancyWestNews@gmail.com.

Terri Taylor August, 94, of Keene, died March 8, 2025. For nearly 50 years, she and her family nurtured a small farm and colonial homestead on Tibbetts Hill Road in Goffstown known as Timberstone Acres. She was a 4-H leader of the Goffstown Gallopers and a long-time member of the Goffstown Garden Club, serving as president and vice president for many years. She was a master gardener and was a judge at many state and regional flower shows. She served on the Goffstown Historic District Commission, serving as vice chairman in 1995. She led projects including the preservation of the Grasmere Schoolhouse No. 9, designation of town hall to the National Register of Historic Places, creation of a historic walking tour of Main Street, and the installation of informational markers at significant landmarks in town. (French and Rising Funeral Home)

Pierrette Clermont, 75, of Lincoln, died March 10, 2025. She was an integral part of the Clermont family business, including the Beacon Resort in Lincoln. She ran the Beacon North front desk and was a tour guide. She and her husband purchased the Chalet Restaurant in 1986. (Legacy.com)

James H. Green, 81, of Londonderry, died March 7, 2025. A U.S. Army veteran, he also served 18 years with the Army Reserves. He was employed by the Coast Guard at the Research and Development Center as resource director for many years. He was past president of the Democratic Party in Londonderry, president of the Senior Resource Committee, Trustee of the Trust Fund and past president and secretary of the Sugarplum Community. (Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium)

Russell L. Marcum, 78, of Hollis, died March 12, 2025. He was a U.S. Army veteran and was a Nashua building inspector for 27 years. (Farwell Funeral Home)

William Phillips, 77, of Milford, died March 9, 2025. The owner and sole operator of the trucking company Diamond Transportation, he excelled in football and baseball at Exeter High and helped lead the football team to two state championship titles. He also was a track team member who won the N.H. Decathlon in 1965 and still holds the school’s javelin record. He was inducted into the NHIAA Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a member of the UNH football team that won their first Yankee Conference Championship in 1968. He was a UNH track team member and in 1969 received the Paul Sweet Trophy for Outstanding Member of UNH Track & Field Team. He was inducted into the UNH Hall of Fame in 1987. He then coached the UNH Track & Field team from 1970-1973. He competed in the Masters division on the NORBA and EFTA racing circuits. (Smith & Heald Funeral Home)

Terje Reinertsen, 87, of Contoocook, died March 3, 2025. A native of Norway, he moved to Dunbarton in 1968 and worked at the N.H. State Hospital as a clinical child psychologist. He was a therapist at Central N.H. Community Mental Health (now Riverbend) and served as its director for 25 years. He collaborated with Concord Hospital to establish emergency services and began residential therapy homes. (Legacy.com)

Arthur George Stavros, 99, of Canterbury, died March 7, 2025, a day after celebrating his birthday. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps and started as a claims adjuster for an insurance company, becoming a copywriter for an advertising agency. In 1955 he took sole ownership of Orr, Pope, and Moulton, which he ran for 52 years. He was director and vice president of the chamber of commerce, president of the YMCA from 1976-78, president of the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church twice, as well as vice president and secretary. (Bennett Funeral Home)

WORDS OF WISDOM: “I’ve known people that the world has thrown everything at to discourage them … to break their spirit. And yet something about them retains a dignity. They face life and don’t ask quarters.” – Albert Horton Foote Jr., American screenwriter whose adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” won an Academy Award. He won another for “Tender Mercies.” Foote lived in New Boston for a time. (His birthday today, March 14, 1916, to March 4, 2009)

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.