A New Zealand woman has spent more than six weeks in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention after being stopped while returning to America from a trip home to visit whānau.
Everlee Wihongi, a 37-year-old New Zealander who has lived in the US since childhood and holds a Green Card, was detained by ICE officials at Los Angeles International Airport on April 10 following a family holiday in Aotearoa. Her detention has sparked growing concern among family members and raised questions about immigration enforcement practices in the United States.
The case reportedly centres on a historic marijuana possession conviction from more than a decade ago. According to family members, Wihongi had travelled internationally multiple times since the conviction without previous issues re-entering the US.
During her detention, Wihongi has reportedly been transferred between facilities in California and Arizona, with family members alleging harsh treatment, overcrowding and lengthy confinement periods inside the detention centres. Reports claim detainees were shackled during transfers and left without adequate food or communication access while being moved between states.
Her original immigration hearing date was also disrupted following the transfer to Arizona, forcing the legal process to restart in a different jurisdiction. Lawyers acting for Wihongi are now attempting to challenge the original conviction, arguing she was not properly advised of the immigration consequences attached to the case at the time.
The New Zealand Government has confirmed consular assistance is being provided to the family, although officials say they cannot intervene directly in US immigration decisions.
The case has intensified debate around ICE detention practices and the treatment of foreign nationals caught in America’s immigration enforcement system, particularly as reports emerge of prolonged detention periods involving people with historic or low-level offences.
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