Thu Jun 19 23:00:00 UTC 2025: **Longtime Green Card Holder Detained by ICE Sparks Outcry in San Diego**
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – A beloved Chula Vista legal assistant and longtime green card holder, Victor Avila, 66, is facing deportation after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month. Avila was apprehended at a Bay Area airport on May 7 as he and his wife returned from visiting their son, who is stationed in the Air Force in Japan. His wife was allowed entry, but Avila was detained, according to his daughter, Carina Mejia.
Avila, who has held a green card since 1967, was initially held in a room and forced to sleep on chairs for several weeks before being transferred to a detention facility near Bakersfield. Mejia explained that her father legally immigrated from Mexico as a teenager with his family and has been a law-abiding resident since.
The detention stems from a 2009 DUI and drug possession arrest, for which Avila served jail time and paid all required penalties. Mejia emphasizes that her father has remained out of trouble since then, dedicating himself to his family and his work. Avila has worked for Kiwan & Chambers, a workers’ compensation law firm in University Heights, for 15 years as a legal assistant.
His detention has sparked outrage and support from coworkers and family, who have launched fundraisers and penned letters to ICE advocating for his release. “He’s a productive member of society,” Mejia said. “It was a nonviolent offense. He’s paid his dues. Detaining him is very unjust.”
Immigration lawyers nationwide have reported a recent crackdown by ICE on permanent residents with resolved criminal records. Deportation proceedings have been initiated against Avila, with a hearing scheduled for July 15. Mejia expressed her anguish, stating, “I want my dad back. I want my dad home.”
ICE officials have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Avila’s case.
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