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Green card holder of 50 years faces ICE detention in Washington: ‘Not unique’
The green card holder said that his family had not been informed of the reasons for his detention.
Lewelyn Dixon, a long-term green card holder who immigrated from the Philippines to the U.S. fifty years ago, is facing detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Washington, as per the information given by her niece Emily Cristobal, as mentioned in Newsweek.
Dixon's detention comes as the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement. Trump claimed he would carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, a goal widely supported by his Republican base.
Several Democrats do not want deportations to occur, but many would prefer there to be a series of legislative reforms around immigration. Trump indicated most deportations would focus on people with crime histories. However, there have been recent reports of many people being deported who had valid documentation and no criminal convictions.
How was Dixon arrested?
Cristobal shared that Dixon, who her family refers to as "Aunty Lyn," was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection on February 28 at SEA-TAC Airport in Seattle following a trip to the Philippines. Dixon migrated to the United States from the Philippines when she was 14 years old. On March 2, Dixon was moved to the Northwest ICE Detention Facility, which is run by the GEO Group. According to reports, the facility has been running since 2004 and retains over 1,500 detainees.
Cristobal said the family had not been informed of the reasons for Dixon’s detention. The family has visited her at the detention facility. Cristobal is an office manager for Hawaii State Representative Tina Nakada Grandinetti. On Friday, Grandinetti spoke in support of state immigration legislation and shared Dixon's story.
Also Read: Trump deporting people at a slower rate than Biden's last year in office
In support of a policy that would give legal representation to individuals in immigration-related courtrooms, Grandinetti said this statement about Dixon: "Dixon is a Green Card holder, a permanent resident who is legally allowed to stay in the United States."
According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a Green Card holder has the right to live permanently in the U.S., provided they do not engage in actions or break laws that would lead to their removal. Green Card holders or visa holders can be deported if they violate immigration law or any laws in the U.S.
In a social media post, Grandinetti noted that Dixon's case "story is not unique. It's part of a broader attack on immigrants— an attack on our families, our friends, and our community as a whole."
Dixon's Professional background
Dixon works as a laboratory technician at the University of Washington. Cristobal mentioned that Dixon's first hearing is scheduled for July 17 at 2:30 p.m.
