A 66-year-old legal U.S. resident was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month upon returning to California from a trip to Japan, where he had visited his son—a serving member of the U.S. Air Force.
Victor Avila, a green card holder since 1967, was taken into custody at San Francisco International Airport. His wife, a U.S. citizen, was cleared to proceed through immigration, but Avila was held back and later transported to a detention center in Bakersfield, more than 230 miles from their home.
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According to his daughter, Carina, Avila was initially kept in an ICE airport office overnight, sleeping on chairs, before being transferred. She described the ordeal in an interview with ABC San Diego, expressing frustration and heartbreak over what the family says is unjust treatment of a longtime resident.
“Two misdemeanors. Served all his time, paid all he had to pay. Since then, he has been a good man and a hard worker,” Carina said. “He’s dedicated himself to his family.”
Avila’s past criminal record, which includes a 2009 DUI and drug possession charge, led to a brief prison sentence. Since then, his family says, he has stayed out of legal trouble and maintained steady work as a legal assistant at a workers’ compensation law firm. His green card has been successfully renewed twice since his conviction.
Now, despite decades of legal residency, ICE has initiated deportation proceedings. Avila’s court date is set for July 15.
His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has already raised more than $21,500 to help with legal expenses. Supporters have also organized letter-writing efforts in hopes of swaying the court to let Avila stay in the country he’s called home since childhood.
“There are days he’s hopeful, optimistic. Then there’s days he mentally prepares himself for the worst,” said Carina. “I want my dad back. I want my dad home.”
The case comes amid growing tensions over immigration enforcement, particularly under policies revived or expanded during Donald Trump’s presidency. Over the weekend, protesters staged “No Kings” demonstrations in multiple cities, timed to coincide with a military parade Trump held in Washington to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
While most protests remained peaceful, law enforcement in Los Angeles and Portland used tear gas and crowd-control munitions to disperse demonstrators who had gathered outside ICE offices.
Avila’s case is now at the center of a larger national conversation about how the U.S. treats longtime legal residents—and whether minor, years-old infractions should outweigh decades of work, family ties, and community contributions.
