A lawful permanent resident who moved to America at age six was detained at Los Angeles International Airport and transferred across multiple states in shackles after immigration agents discovered a decade-old drug conviction upon her return from a family vacation.

Detained After Three Decades in America

Everlee Amelia Wihongi, 37, a New Zealand citizen who has held a green card for most of her life, was taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection on April 10. Immigration agents identified a 2014 felony conviction for possession of THC from Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin during routine inspection. The Department of Homeland Security declared the conviction rendered her inadmissible under federal law, triggering mandatory detention proceedings.

DHS issued a stark reminder about the conditional nature of permanent residency. “Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right,” a department spokesperson stated. “Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused. Lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention.”

Family Reports Inhumane Treatment During Transfers

Wihongi was moved between facilities in California, Texas, Montana, and Arizona without family notification, according to relatives. Her brother Avaiiki Wihongi said Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided almost no official information, leaving the family to gather details independently through lawyers. He described conditions during one transfer as inhumane, with his sister forced to sleep on the floor while shackled for 14 hours, denied food and water, and not permitted to bathe.

The repeated facility transfers caused Wihongi to miss a scheduled legal meeting because her attorney was not informed she had been moved. She remains detained at the Eloy Federal Contract Facility in Arizona. Her mother Betty Wihongi told reporters the family traveled to New Zealand in March for a relative’s 80th birthday, unaware the return trip would trigger detention.

International Response and Legal Questions

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wihongi had not declared her prior conviction on immigration paperwork, though no routine re-entry form requires returning green card holders to list previous convictions. Peters stated the case remains a matter for U.S. authorities and New Zealand cannot intervene in another country’s immigration decisions. Consular officials are providing assistance to the family, who launched a fundraising campaign for mounting legal costs as removal proceedings continue.