The family of a New Zealand woman detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is pleading with the New Zealand government to help secure her release, claiming she is confined to a room with 46 people for 22 hours a day.
Everlee Wihongi, 37, holds a green card but was detained upon her return to Los Angeles due to an issue with a historic conviction for marijuana possession. She moved to the US with her family aged six, her mother Betty Wihongi told RNZ.
The family visited New Zealand in March for an uncle’s 80th birthday, but when they flew back to Los Angeles on 10 April, Wihongi was detained. After a seven-hour wait, the family received a phone call saying there had been an issue with a historic conviction and she had been sent to an ICE processing facility.
Wihongi faces another six weeks in detention after a judge set her recall date for 10 June. Her mother said Wihongi was feeling “very anxious” and that the experience had damaged the family’s view of the US. “This place no longer feels like home to us, especially after seeing how my daughter’s been treated,” she said.
The family has called on New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and its minister, Winston Peters, to intervene. In a statement, the ministry said it could not comment on specifics due to privacy reasons but was providing assistance. Peters said Wihongi had not declared a prior conviction on her immigration paperwork, adding that staff had been working on the case “from day one” but the government could not intervene in the process.
