Kiwi woman in ICE detention ‘shackled for hours’ | Stuff.co.nz

The mother of Everlee Wihongi has described the “inhumane conditions” her daughter has been subject to while detained by ICE in the United States over the past 32 days. Wihongi, 37, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when returning to Wisconsin from a family holiday in Aotearoa. She has lived in the US for more than 25 years and holds a green card. Wihongi’s Wisconsin-based lawyer, Marc Christopher, told Stuff that she was held on the basis of her being convicted on a possession of marijuana charge over a decade ago. She was taken to an ICE detention facility in California on April 10, before being taken to another in Texas. Over the weekend, she was transferred to another facility in Arizona, and for three days her friends and family had no idea where she was. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stuff NZ is New Zealand’s essential news source — bringing you live, lively and trustworthy journalism from every corner of Aotearoa. Stay informed with breaking news, in-depth stories, and the latest updates that matter to Kiwis. We upload daily, keeping you connected with the people, places and issues shaping New Zealand today. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Social media channels: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nzstuff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nzstuff