‘It was hell’: Filipino mom released from ICE detention

Lewelyn Dixon is embraced by a family member after her release from detention outside the Tacoma courthouse. Photo from mlklabor/Instagram

NEW YORK – Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old Filipino green card holder who was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while returning home to Seattle, Washington, from a trip to the Philippines earlier this year, has been released. 

Dixon was released after an immigration hearing May 29 at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.

“I’m feeling relief, elated, happy,” the Filipino mother said immediately after the hearing, breaking into tears. 

Friends, family and advocates celebrate the release of Lewelyn Dixon. Photo from asianamericanlife/Instagram

“It was hell,” she added, describing the three months she spent in detention, according to the Seattle Times.

Migrant rights advocates said Dixon’s ordeal highlights the ongoing challenges faced by many Filipino immigrants under the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Lewelyn Dixon was released on May 29. Photo from kuow/Instagram

Dixon has been a lawful permanent resident for five decades. She first arrived in the US from the Philippines at age 14.

During the hearing, Dixon disclosed that in 2001, she was convicted of embezzling approximately $6,500 from Washington Mutual Bank. 

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At the time, she worked as a vault teller, responsible for distributing cash to other tellers and withdrawing money from the vault multiple times.

Then in 2011, she was convicted of theft. Dixon explained that she had forgotten about a few items she left in her purse while shopping at Walmart. She intended to return and pay for approximately $27 worth of items but was detained before doing so.

Immigration officials said those past convictions were the primary reasons for her arrest and detention.

Filipino migrants’ advocacy group Tanggol Migrante played a vital role in her release. Photo from mlklabor/Instagram

Dixon emphasized that she had resolved her legal issues. She served no jail time but was ordered to repay the stolen money and spent 30 days at a residential reentry facility. 

For her 2011 theft conviction, she agreed to do community service, and the charge was dismissed.

“I think it was temptation that led me to it,” Dixon told the court. “There was just so much money I had never seen before.”

Despite her legal troubles, Dixon traveled regularly between the Philippines and the US without issue until her recent detention. 

When asked why she never pursued citizenship, Dixon explained she made a promise to her father to maintain property in the Philippines for the family.

Her family was unaware of her past convictions and was reluctant to discuss her detention. Dixon revealed her history only during the hearing, prompted by her lawyer Benjamin Osorio.

Judge Tammy Fitting granted Dixon relief under provisions available to lawful permanent residents who have held their status for at least five years and have no serious criminal record, known as aggravated felonies.

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In her ruling, Judge Fitting emphasized Dixon’s decades of lawful residency, work history, tax payments, family ties in the US and multiple letters of support. Additionally, a government attorney waived the right to appeal.

Her past convictions qualify as crimes of moral turpitude under immigration law, and two such crimes can jeopardize a green card holder’s status if they remain in the US. 

However, different rules apply when returning from abroad. In those cases, even one crime of moral turpitude can render a person inadmissible.

While in detention, Dixon received frequent visits from family and supporters, including members of the Tanggol Migrante Network Washington, an organization advocating for Filipino migrants and families.