Judge rules UW lab technician detained for months should not be deported

An immigration judge ruled Thursday that a University of Washington lab technician, who had been detained for months, should not be deported, according to The Seattle Times.

Lewelyn Dixon—a decades-long green card holder who was arrested in February at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)—could be released in a few hours, the media outlet stated.

“I’m feeling relief, elated, happy,” Dixon said after the hearing, reported The Seattle Times.

Dixon, 64, was held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma since her arrest.

“It was hell,” she said, according to the media outlet.

The Seattle Times noted Dixon has been a lawful resident for 50 years and moved from the Philippines to the U.S. at 14 years old to be with family.

She was detained at Sea-Tac after coming back from the Philippines because of a 2001 conviction for embezzling around $6,500 from Washington Mutual Bank, immigration officials told her lawyer, according to The Seattle Times. Dixon did not serve jail time but was instead ordered to pay back the money and spend 30 days at a reentry facility.

Dixon’s niece, Melania Madriaga, told KIRO 7 she never had issues flying before.

“They’ve flown multiple times international with no issues whatsoever,” she shared. “She renewed her green card twice. She was able to obtain a job position.”

Another detention at Sea-Tac

Earlier this month, an Olympia man who moved to the U.S. from the Philippines as a child, and has a green card, was also detained at Sea-Tac.

According to NBC News, Maximo Londonio was detained after returning from vacation with his family. His family, reported the media outlet, believes the detainment may be due to nonviolent convictions from when Londonio was younger.

Contributing: KIRO 7

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