TACOMA, Wash. — A Washington man and green card holder who was detained at SEA Airport coming back from a family vacation has been released from ICE detention after two months, his union announced Monday morning.
Maximo Londonio was returning from visiting family in the Philippines when he was pulled aside by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the screening line. He was eventually taken to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
Londonio has lived in the U.S. for the majority of his life, moving with his family when he was 12 years old. His wife is a U.S. citizen whom he has been married to for more than 20 years.
When asked, CBP did not specify why Londonio was detained. His wife, Crystal Londonio, said Maximo had two non-violent convictions from two decades prior, but they had both been resolved.
Crystal Londonio said her husband is a loving father to their three daughters and the primary breadwinner for the family. He works at a manufacturing company in Lacey. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, of which Maximo Londonio is a member, released a statement celebrating his release.
“We are incredibly thankful that Maximo is finally home with his family where he belongs,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “But the fact that he was detained for two months without cause is unacceptable. This is not just a failure of the system—it’s a violation of basic human dignity. No working person should have to go through what Maximo endured in a country that claims to stand for justice and fairness.”
Lewelyn Dixon, a former University of Washington lab technician, was detained at SEA Airport in February under similar circumstances. Dixon, a green card holder who has lived in the U.S. for more than 50 years, was detained re-entering the country from the Philippines with her family. She had a non-violent misdemeanor from 2001. Dixon was also recently released after spending months in detention.