Filipino U.S. Permanent Resident Detained by ICE Over 2012 Drug Case Record After Bahamas Return

On July 28, 2024, Sonny Lasquite, a 44-year-old Filipino lawful permanent resident, was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Charlotte International Airport in North Carolina upon returning from a vacation in the Bahamas with a friend. Authorities flagged him due to a record in the federal system tied to a 2012 drug case. He was subsequently transferred to the Stewart Detention Center in Georgia, where he remains in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

Lasquite has lived in the U.S. for approximately 23 years and worked as a banquet server in Las Vegas. His family states he is the primary breadwinner, covering his mother’s medical and daily living expenses. They have launched a crowdfunding campaign to aid him and to draw attention to what they describe as medical neglect during his detention, including delays in receiving his prescribed blood pressure medication and treatment for a recent fever.

The case mirrors other incidents, such as the February 2024 detention of Lewelyn Dixon, a University of Washington laboratory technician and long-term resident. Such detentions have led some U.S. lawmakers to question the treatment of lawful Asian permanent residents, including members of the Filipino community.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has stated that ICE only detains dangerous criminals and has dismissed claims that law-abiding immigrants without criminal histories are being held. As of the latest update, Lasquite continues to be detained in Georgia.