A routine green card interview in Los Angeles ended with federal immigration agents detaining a 39-year-old applicant, according to his wife, who says the encounter halted their effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz and her husband, Taeha Hwang, arrived at a downtown Los Angeles federal building on Oct. 29 expecting a routine appointment. The pair married earlier this year and believed their immigration meeting would be, in Diaz’s words, “quick and easy.” Instead, Hwang was taken into ICE custody after officials determined he was in the country without proper documentation. “He’s locked up like a dog for 41 days and counting,” Diaz said, describing the moment she learned her husband had been detained. She said she was unable to speak to him for hours after the appointment 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 being held at the Adelanto ICE Detention Center as he awaits potential release on bond. Diaz said her husband unknowingly missed an immigration court date in May 2024 regarding a prior conditional visa because he had changed addresses and never received the notices. The Department of Homeland Security, in a statement provided to KTLA, said Hwang “illegally overstayed his F-1 student visa, ignored a notice to appear before an immigration judge, broke the laws of this country, and was issued a final order for removal from an immigration judge over a year ago.” DHS said Hwang will remain in ICE custody while immigration proceedings continue. Diaz said she believes in the rules governing the immigration system but argued that 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 has visited Hwang at Adelanto, where she said he described harsh living conditions. According to Diaz, the unit where he is being held has 70 bunk beds and houses 140 men with one security guard. “There’s no ventilation. The showers smell like fecal matter,” she said. Hwang’s deportation order was lifted by a judge on Nov. 26, according to the GoFundMe page organized by Diaz, and a new hearing has been scheduled for March 27, 2026. Despite the reversal, he remains detained while officials consider whether he will be granted bond. According to the couple’s fundraising page, Hwang has spent more than two decades building his life in Los Angeles, working as a waiter to support himself while also contributing to his community. Diaz said he faced significant challenges growing up, including his sister’s childhood cancer diagnosis. The two met in Los Angeles and were married in February 2025. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Xelena Diaz’s husband, Taeha Hwang, was detained by federal immigration agents during his green card interview in Los Angeles, halting the couple’s effort to secure his permanent residency. Now, she said, all she wants is for Hwang to 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,” Diaz said. The GoFundMe page seeks help with legal fees as the couple continues to navigate the case and awaits the judge’s decision on bond. Carlos Saucedo’s reporting contributed to this article.