A Filipino immigrant and lawful permanent resident was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after returning from vacation, more than a decade after a federal drug case.
Sonny Lasquite, who has lived in the U.S. for 23 years, was detained July 28 by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina following a trip to the Bahamas. ICE records show he is now being held at Stewart Detention Center in Georgia.
Authorities flagged Lasquite over a 2012 conviction for possessing and intending to distribute Schedule IV narcotics, including diazepam, alprazolam, zolpidem, and carisoprodol. Court records indicate that between late 2010 and mid-2012, Lasquite took responsibility for his actions and cooperated with federal prosecutors, helping stop distribution operations and leading to other convictions.
“You are… the only defendant who cooperated,” then–U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara told Lasquite during sentencing in 2014, acknowledging he acted at personal risk. Lasquite was sentenced to time served, no additional prison time, and ordered to pay $200.
Family and friends say he has had no legal troubles since, working as a banquet server in Las Vegas and caring for his elderly mother. A GoFundMe campaign launched Saturday aims to raise $30,000 for legal fees and living expenses while he fights to stay in the country. By Monday, donors had contributed nearly $11,600.
Supporters say his detention has taken a toll on his health, with reports of delayed access to blood pressure medication and care for a recent fever. They also say his mother’s health has worsened from stress.
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi told Newsweek that lawful permanent residents remain vulnerable to deportation for certain drug-related convictions, regardless of how much time has passed. She urged green card holders to apply for citizenship as soon as eligible, noting that naturalized citizens cannot be deported for past convictions in the same way.
Lasquite’s friends describe him as a “beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend” whose kindness has touched many lives. “His income helps cover essential expenses, including his elderly mother’s medical needs and daily living costs,” said fundraiser organizer Vivian Hirano.
The Department of Homeland Security has defended current enforcement practices, with Secretary Kristi Noem recently dismissing claims that ICE targets immigrants without criminal histories as “false.”
Leave a Reply