Utah family seeks for answers after ICE detains sister

SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family's three week-long vacation in New Zealand ended with a family member in detention at an ICE facility in California. The Wihongi family said they legally immigrated from New Zealand to the United States more than 20 years ago. After flying to New Zealand to celebrate an uncle's 80th birthday, Everlee Wihongi was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency at the Los Angeles International Airport on April 10. Wihongi is being held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California, northeast of Los Angeles. According to Courtney and Avaiiki Wihongi, they still don't know why she was detained by ICE, given that she is a permanent legal resident and has been for years. "Still to this day about a week later no we still don't know," Avaiiki Wihongi said. "I just got off the phone with her and she doesn't know either. She's very confused." Immigration attorney Jonathan Shaw, while not working on this specific case, said that situations like Everlee's are becoming more common across the country as ICE continues to crack down on immigration. "With immigration there is such a backlog that often times things like this start to seem normal," Shaw said. Shaw said the backlog can mean that individuals are detained for days or even weeks without being presented with formal documentation as to why they are in removal proceedings. Everlee told her family she still doesn't know why she was detained. According to Avaiiki, Everlee was kept in a room for more than 7 hours and pressured to sign paperwork that she wasn't allowed to fully read. "She tried to read it again, he ripped it out of her hands and said, 'Are you going to be difficult?'" Avaiiki Wihongi said. Courtney Wihongi said they won't give up until they get some answers, "especially without having any sort of a reason why this happened." Everlee's family set up a GoFundMe to pay for her legal expenses as they wait for her to be released. KSL reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, but has not received a response. Her family said a hearing for her is scheduled for April 28.

Read more: DHS finalizes ownership of massive ICE warehouse property in Salt Lake City

KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

Related topics