ICE detains green card holder after 23 years in U.S.

A U.S. green card holder who’s lived in America for 23 years was detained at a North Carolina airport upon returning from a vacation in the Bahamas and placed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. Though the Filipino immigrant has been living in U.S. legally, he has prior criminal charges involving drug distribution, for which he served time more than a decade ago. The case is an example of how lawful permanent residents who’ve paid their debt to society are facing possible arrest and deportation, which has sparked debate amid President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

What happened

The man, Sonny Lasquite — who reportedly worked as a banquet server in Las Vegas — was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at North Carolina’s Charlotte Douglas International Airport following his trip to the Caribbean, relatives told the media. He was then taken to Georgia’s Stewart Detention Center. His arrest is due to his involvement in a 2012 narcotics case in which he admitted to distributing controlled substances.

Legal history

According to court records, from 2010 to 2012, Lasquite “intentionally and knowingly” possessed Schedule IV narcotics with the intent to distribute. These included diazepam, alprazolam, zolpidem and carisoprodol, Newsweek confirmed via court records. Records further revealed that Lasquite took responsibility for his actions and helped authorities with their case. “You are, as the government points out, the only defendant who cooperated. You did that at some risk to yourself. I think there needs to be recognition of that and proportionate sentencing between you and the other defendants,” former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara wrote in a 2014 sentencing memorandum. (Lasquite was sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $200.) “I feel pretty confident that you’re not going to commit any crimes in the future,” Bharara added, “and I join the government in wishing you well and hopefully being able to put this behind you.” Loved ones said he did.

An immigration attorney weighs in

Cases like Lasquite’s are “not new and have been happening for decades,” immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek. “Under current U.S. immigration law, lawful permanent residents — even those who have lived in the country for most of their lives — remain vulnerable to removal proceedings if they are convicted of certain drug-related offenses. This is true regardless of how much time has passed since the conviction or how significantly they have contributed to their communities in the years afterward.” Berardi explained that because of that reality, she and her colleagues “strongly encourage our clients to pursue U.S. citizenship as soon as they are eligible” because “naturalized citizens cannot be deported for criminal convictions in the same way, providing a crucial safeguard against the devastating consequences of removal.”

Fighting his detention

A GoFundMe account is trying to raise money to provide Lasquite with legal representation and pay for filing fees as well as “essential expenses to fight for Sonny’s right to remain in the U.S. and reunite with his family,” the page explains. The page also says Lasquite, who’s lived in the U.S. since 2002, “has had no further legal troubles and has been a law-abiding, contributing member of his community” since his conviction. He’s described as “the primary breadwinner of his family, providing both financial and emotional support to his loved ones.” His income, the page notes, “helps cover essential expenses, including his elderly mother’s medical needs and daily living costs.”

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