After spending nearly three months in immigration detention, 64-year-old Lewelyn Dixon, a Filipino green card holder, was granted release by a U.S. immigration judge on May 29 following a hearing at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.
“I’m feeling relief, elated, happy,” Dixon said with tears streaming down her face after the ruling, according to The Seattle Times. “It was hell,” she added, describing the emotional toll of her detention.
Dixon, a lawful permanent U.S. resident for five decades, was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier this year upon returning to Seattle from a trip to the Philippines. Her arrest was tied to two prior convictions: a 2001 embezzlement case involving around $6,500 while working at Washington Mutual Bank, and a 2011 theft incident at Walmart that she said was a misunderstanding.
Although she had resolved both cases — completing community service and repaying the funds — immigration officials cited the convictions as grounds for detaining her. Under U.S. immigration law, crimes considered “moral turpitude” can affect a green card holder’s ability to remain in or reenter the country.
At the hearing, Dixon candidly admitted her past mistakes. “I think it was temptation that led me to it,” she said of the embezzlement, recalling the pressure of handling large sums of money.
Immigration Judge Tammy Fitting granted her relief, noting Dixon’s long-standing residency, employment history, tax contributions, and strong community and family support. The government also chose not to appeal the decision.
Dixon, who moved to the U.S. at 14, said she had not applied for citizenship out of a promise to her late father to retain their family’s property in the Philippines.
Throughout her detention, Dixon was regularly visited by loved ones and supported by advocates from the Tanggol Migrante Network Washington, who have raised concerns about the broader impact of immigration enforcement policies on Filipino migrants.
