Loose Ends Singer Jane Eugene Facing Deportation by I.C.E.

Editor's Note: This story was originally published in July 2025 and has been updated to include the latest information on Jane Eugene's detention at an immigration facility in Kentucky. 

British R&B singer Jane Eugene, lead singer of Loose Ends, has been detained since May 3 and may be deported from the United States. She was detained by ICE on the Canadian border for overstaying a visa that expired years ago.

On July 21, Billboard reported Eugene was being held in an ICE detention facility in Kentucky, after being moved from a facility in upstate New York.

Representatives for Eugene told Billboard that she was travelling across the Canadian border when she was stopped by immigration officers in April. United States government sources said she’d applied for a green card in 1999, but she had already overstayed her visa and was refused.

Now she could face deportation and a possible 10-year re-entry ban.

A GoFundMe campaign is asking fans and supporters to help cover her legal fees, medical needs, and possible bail. The page refutes the legal justification for her being detained, stating: “Under Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) there’s a provision that allows people who entered the country and applied for a green card before 2001 to re-apply for legal status while still in the US, even if they overstayed their visa. Jane meets the requirements for 245(i) and is ‘grandfathered’ in.”

Section 245(i) is a little-known provision in immigration law that could play a role in Eugene’s case. The rule allows certain people who applied for a green card before April 30, 2001 to adjust their status without leaving the country — even if they overstayed a visa or fell out of legal status in the meantime. Advocates say Eugene may qualify because she filed an immigrant petition back in 1999, though it was later denied. If her legal team can prove she is “grandfathered” under 245(i), it could open a pathway to lawful residency and help her avoid deportation.

Organizers say her health has taken a turn for the worse during her detainment. In the most recent update posted on the GoFundMe page on July 30, an organizer said that Eugene requires specialized medical care and was under medical supervision prior to being detained.

As of Sept. 25, there have been no public updates on her case or her detainment. There is no final ruling on her deportation, and no publicized date has been set for a future hearing.

Eugene formed Loose Ends with vocalist/guitarist Carl McIntosh and keyboardist/vocalist Steve Nichol in 1980. Loose Ends scored hits like “Hangin’ on a String” and “Slow Down” in the 1980s. The trio’s sound and Eugene’s image would be an influence on acts like Soul II Soul and Brand New Heavies, as well as providing a touchstone for genres like neo-soul, house, and hip-hop.

Since she and Nichol left the band in 1990, Eugene has been touring as “Loose Ends featuring Jane Eugene.”