Comic creator and illustrator R. E. Burke is currently being held in a US detention centre, after being detained at the US-Canada border due to visa issues while on a backpacking holiday. Now, a GoFundMe campaign organised by Jade Upshall is raising money to help her and Becky’s family, to get a lawyer who can fight for Becky’s release, get her a flight home, and finance other costs.
Becky’s detention is the result of a visa mix-up, her plight widely reported by the BBC and other mainstream news services, and by Broken Frontier.
R.E. Burke: A Talented Artist
In normal times, R. E. Burke, also known as Becky Burke, is a non-stop artist and creator from Monmouthshire, who studied English and Philosophy at Bristol University, and then a postgraduate degree in Publishing Media at Oxford Brookes. Despite never studying art professionally, she has developed her craft persistently and with determination, alongside her ongoing education.
After finishing her masters, Becky moved to London, where she keeps working on new artistic projects as much as possible. She also wrote for the British comic news site Broken Frontier as Rebecca Burke between 2020 and 2023.
Visa Mix-Up Victim
Earlier this year, the talented 28-year-old artist set off on the trip of a lifetime across North America – but things have taken a horrible turn.
While travelling, Becky was staying with host families which she found through a cultural exchange co-ordination website. She helped with chores in exchange for accommodation – something many backpackers do to help funds and gain cultural experience. Host families will often use this opportunity to share cultural experiences with travellers and not require anything in return, other than helping out as a typical housemate would.
But when she tried to cross into Canada, she was denied entry due to them perceiving this as requiring a work visa, and told to return to the United States.
Instead of a quick fix, she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US immigration authority, and has now been stuck in a detention centre since 26th February. She is facing tough conditions, having had all her possessions removed, only eating cold beans and potatoes (she is vegan) – and is only allowed visitors through a screen and phone.
Travellers urged to be “very careful” about visa requirements
Speaking to the BBC earlier this week her father, Paul Burke has urged travellers to be “very careful” about their visa requirements, describing on Facebook how a life-changing four-month backpacking trip across North America has turned into a nightmare.
The BBC reported Becky is being held in a dormitory of 110 people in a “maxed out” immigration detention centre in Tacoma, Washington.
“They wake us up at 6.30am. There is never enough time to sleep. It’s so cold,” Becky told the BBC.
“I wear the same jumper for a week. They’re short or out of stuff, like blankets and extra clothes. I have one towel.”
She added many of the people she had met were “stuck” at the centre, separated from their families – in some cases, for years.
“Everyone is actually really shocked when I explain my situation,” she added.
“I came to the US for the first time two years ago… I had a great time, that’s why I wanted to come back again. I love nature and hiking. Now I see no nature in here at all.”
#BringBeckyHome GoFundMe Campaign
Supporters have rallied under the banner of #BringBeckyHome in the hope of speeding up the process through a GoFundMe campaign to get Becky safely back to the UK as soon as possible. As of Wednesday 12th March 2025, the campaign had raised over £4000 of its £5000 target.
Monmouthshire MP Catherine Fookes has also raised the case with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty, so let’s hope this awful situation is resolved as soon as possible.
“An American friend is helping by sending funds to her inmate account so she can buy basic necessities like tea and milk,” Paul Burke, whio has been overwhelmed by hundreds of responses to his initial Facebook post about Becky’s plight. His plea for help attracted a huge amount of useful advice from Americans and Canadians about visa issues, thankfully vastly outweighing negative responses.
“However, progress has been slow,” he said, “and we urgently need more support.
“We are asking for your help. Please share Becky’s story widely through your networks. We hope to connect with experts, legal professionals, or anyone who can offer advice or assistance. Becky is a kind, adventurous young woman who simply wants to return home to her family.”
Media coverage prompted the launch of the GoFundMe campaign, raising money for legal fees, to get a great lawyer who can fight for Becky’s release; advisory support, to help navigate the complicated visa situation; money for Becky, so she can get food, essentials, and stay in touch with family; and a flight home.
If there’s left over money the family will be looking at donating this to charities in the Seattle area that helps people in a similar situation.
Family thanks for huge support so far
In a follow up Facebook post yesterday, Paul responded to the incredible response to the GoFundMe campaign, nearing its £5000 goal, saying “We are nearly there but now engaging legal counsel, keeping Becky’s detainee account funded and arranging likely high cost return flight (when we get permission by ICE). Any surplus will be donated to charities supporting people in a similar situation to Becky. Please share to help Becky and others.”
If you can help Becky in any way, that’s brilliant. Every little bit counts, whether it’s a donation or just sharing the GoFundMe page. Becky is stuck in a nightmare, and we need to do everything we can to get her home.
Let’s show Becky she’s not alone!
• Bring Becky Home – #BringBeckyHome GoFundMe Campaign Page – support and promotion welcome
“We didn’t get where we are as a nation right now in a day and we won’t ge out in a day either… especially Becky and so many others who are being told they are facing 1 or 2 days in detention and then weeks or months or years go by.”
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics, Creating Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds
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