Detained at Green Card Interview, LA Husband Remains in Harsh ICE Custody

A routine green card interview in downtown Los Angeles ended in detention for Tae-ha Hwang, according to his wife, Xelena Diaz — as first reported by The Korea Daily on Dec. 1, 2025, “Marriage Interview Ended in Handcuffs as ICE Detained Korean Spouse Without Warning”.

The couple arrived on Oct. 29 expecting a quick meeting about his permanent residency. Instead, federal immigration agents took the 39-year-old into custody after determining he lacked proper documentation.

Diaz said she was stunned when she learned her husband had been detained. “He’s locked up like a dog for 41 days and counting,” she said. She added that she could not speak to him for hours and that Hwang later told her he spent more than 30 hours in a holding cell, sleeping on the floor without a blanket.

Hwang, who was born in Korea and brought to the United States at three months old, is now held at the Adelanto ICE Detention Center. Diaz said he unknowingly missed an immigration court hearing in May 2024 tied to a previous conditional visa because he changed addresses and never received the notices.

In a statement provided to KTLA, the Department of Homeland Security said Hwang “illegally overstayed his F-1 student visa” and “ignored a notice to appear before an immigration judge,” adding that he received a final removal order from a judge over a year ago. DHS said he will remain in ICE custody while proceedings continue.

Diaz said she respects the rules of the immigration system but believes her husband’s treatment is disproportionate. “I do believe there’s rules and regulations in place for a reason,” she said. “And while I believe that, it doesn’t change the fact I still think this punishment is severe and unjust.”

She said Hwang described harsh conditions inside Adelanto. According to Diaz, the unit has 70 bunk beds for 140 men and only one security guard. “There’s no ventilation. The showers smell like fecal matter,” she said.

A judge lifted Hwang’s deportation order on Nov. 26, according to their GoFundMe page, and a new hearing is scheduled for March 27, 2026. Even after the reversal, he remains detained while officials decide whether he will be granted bond.

Their fundraising page says Hwang has spent more than two decades building his life in Los Angeles, working as a waiter and supporting his community. Diaz said he faced serious challenges growing up, including his sister’s childhood cancer diagnosis. The two met in Los Angeles and married in February 2025.

Diaz said she hopes Hwang will be released in time for the holidays. “The beauty of America is that anybody can be American, and it was built by immigrants. I feel the conversation that’s being had is not the right one,” she said.