ICE releases health worker arrested at airport despite living in the U.S. legally for 50 years

A Filipino green card holder, Lewelyn Dixon, who had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Seattle-Tacoma Airport for three months, has finally returned home. The 64-year-old University of Washington lab technician was released from the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, after a judge determined she did not meet the criteria for deportation. Dixon, who has had legal permanent status in the U.S. for five decades, was detained in late February upon returning from a trip to the Philippines.

After her release, Dixon expressed gratitude to her supporters and shared details about the overcrowded and challenging conditions in the detention facility. Her niece mentioned that Dixon has been reconnecting with family and is readjusting to life outside of detention.

Dixon’s lawyer explained that her detention was likely triggered by a past embezzlement conviction from 2000 when she worked at Washington Mutual Bank. Despite completing her sentence and payments by 2019, her green card status and a legal promise to her father to maintain Filipino nationality contributed to her detention.

Looking ahead, Dixon plans to continue supporting other detainees and aid them with navigating the immigration system. Her family is proud of her resilience and dedication to helping others, and Dixon is considering returning to work soon while prioritizing her citizenship process.

Dixon’s case is one of several involving green card holders who have faced detention under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement measures. The recent release of another detainee, Maximo Londonio, and the case of Fabian Schmidt, who was released in May after being detained at Boston Logan International Airport, highlight the challenges faced by legal permanent residents with past convictions.