New Zealander Everlee Wihongi has been released from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention, bringing relief to her whānau after more than two months of uncertainty, legal delays and public pressure.
Wihongi, a New Zealand citizen who has lived in the United States for decades on a Green Card, was detained in April after attempting to re-enter the US following a trip to Aotearoa.
Her detention was linked to an old marijuana conviction, which had become the basis of her immigration case. That conviction was recently quashed after a judge found grounds relating to ineffective legal counsel, removing the key reason ICE had used to justify holding her.
The case attracted growing attention in Aotearoa, with whānau, advocates and political voices calling for stronger action to secure her release.
Wihongi’s family had raised repeated concerns about delays, transfers between detention facilities and the emotional toll the process had taken on her.
Her release marks a major victory for her whānau, who had argued there was no longer any legal basis for her continued detention once the conviction was overturned.
The case has also raised wider questions about the treatment of New Zealand citizens overseas, the power of US immigration enforcement, and the role of consular support when whānau are caught in complex foreign legal systems.
Supporters say Wihongi’s release shows the importance of sustained advocacy, legal support and public pressure when individuals become trapped in immigration detention.
While her release is being welcomed, advocates say the ordeal should prompt closer scrutiny of how historic convictions can continue to affect people’s lives years later, particularly when immigration systems move slowly and detainees are left waiting behind bars.
For Wihongi and her whānau, the immediate focus now turns to recovery, reconnection and healing after months of separation and distress.
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