U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained California resident Chuong Dong last week during his annual check-in in San Diego due to a decades-old deportation order linked to a criminal conviction, NBC 7 San Diego first reported.
Dong, a refugee from Vietnam who arrived in the U.S. over 40 years ago and obtained lawful permanent resident status shortly after, was complying with routine immigration reporting requirements when the detention occurred.
ICE confirmed the detention to Newsweek, describing Dong as “an illegal alien” and “a repeat felon.” Dong’s attorney was also contacted for comment.
Why It Matters
The case comes amid President Donald Trump’s administration’s intensified immigration enforcement. Long-term residents with past convictions—even those decades old—are increasingly facing detention despite following standard reporting processes.
What Happened
ICE says Dong was detained after a kiosk failed to recognize his information during his annual check-in. He was then transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County, according to ICE’s detainee locator system.
Dong arrived in the U.S. in 1981 at age 12 as a refugee from Vietnam and received a green card soon after. In 1989, he pleaded guilty to robbery and later violated probation following a burglary charge, resulting in a prison sentence. ICE told Newsweek that Dong served more than five years for various felonies, including robbery, multiple burglaries, and grand theft.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states that green card holders can live permanently in the U.S. provided they do not commit acts that would make them removable under immigration law, such as committing crimes or failing to file taxes.
A removal order was issued in 1999, but Dong remained in the U.S. under release conditions requiring periodic check-ins with immigration authorities.
Dong’s wife, Christy Huynh, a U.S. citizen, told NBC 7 that they have been married over 20 years and have two children who are also U.S. citizens. She said Dong “became a new, different person” after serving his time.
Family friend Hung Huynh appealed to California Governor Gavin Newsom on Instagram, describing Dong as having “fully turned his life around” and highlighting the hardship his detention has caused the family and community.
A LinkedIn profile believed to belong to Dong shows he ran Dong’s Inspection Services LLC for more than 11 years, providing inspection services related to plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and seismic bracing for construction projects.
The family submitted letters of recommendation and a motion to vacate Dong’s 1989 conviction under a 2017 California law allowing such action when defendants did not understand immigration consequences. A hearing is scheduled for August 26 in San Diego County Court.
Dong’s attorney, Adam Klugman, told NBC 7, “This is a due process issue, where his plea was fundamentally flawed and he did not knowingly accept these consequences. Almost 40 years later, he is facing the consequences, which is very unfortunate because he’s a changed man.”
Official Statements
Patrick Divver, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Diego field office director, told Newsweek:
“Dong is an illegal alien from Vietnam and a repeat felon who has racked up over five years in prison for various felonies… Further, Dong has been under a final order of removal for over 25 years clearly choosing to ignore this court order.”
Christy Huynh said to NBC 7 San Diego:
“I tried to explain to the officer that he had an active case going on. He didn’t care. One of the ICE agents was laughing, smiling, giggling… To them, it’s like destroying people, families—it’s something that they can laugh at.”
Klugman added:
“They could have removed him any time between 1999 and now. The question is, can the government do the right thing and properly exercise its discretion and reopen his case before they send him away and separate him from his family?”
Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a previous statement:
“Under Secretary Noem, we are delivering on President Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe… Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst and carry out the largest deportation operation of criminal aliens in American history.”
Hung Huynh wrote on Instagram:
“Chuong has become a source of support and guidance to countless people, including myself. He has offered mentorship, compassion, and encouragement to those around him, consistently leading by example and demonstrating a sincere commitment to bettering the lives of others.”
What Happens Next
The August 26 hearing in San Diego County Court will consider Dong’s motion to vacate his 1989 conviction. Any court decision would affect only the criminal record; federal immigration officials still retain discretion to reopen or modify removal proceedings.
Divver told Newsweek that Dong “will remain in ICE custody until he is deported.”
