Hai Nguyen, an Oklahoma man who has lived in the United States since childhood, was detained by ICE over an expunged marijuana charge. He was separated from his wife and children for 93 days. Nguyen explained that the charge originated during his college years more than a decade ago, when he completed community service and had it cleared from his record.

Community Support

The story gained significant attention, with over 160,000 views. Community members rallied to support Nguyen, organizing a letter campaign and raising more than $18,000 to help bring him home. Nguyen’s attorney filed a habeas corpus case, which led to a judge granting his release for now.

Nguyen expressed gratitude for his release but remains cautious about the future and concerned about the emotional toll on his children. His daughter has not let him out of her sight since his return, and he is worried about the impact of his detention on her well-being.

Nguyen hopes to return to supervision, as he had before his detention, but the process could take up to a year. His next check-in is scheduled for the end of the month.

Original reporting: Oklahoma City News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.