U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained California man Chuong Dong at an annual check-in in San Diego last week due to a decades-old deportation order tied to a criminal conviction, NBC 7 San Diego first reported.The detention occurred after Dong, a refugee who arrived from Vietnam over 40 years ago and obtained a lawful permanent resident status, or green card, soon after, complied with a routine immigration reporting requirement.ICE confirmed the detention to Newsweek, describing Dong as "an illegal alien" and "a repeat felon." Newsweek reached out Dong's attorney for comment via email on Tuesday.Why It MattersThe detention comes amid President Donald Trump's administration's crackdown on immigrants, with some long-term residents facing renewed scrutiny and detention despite complying with routine immigration processes. Many with past convictions, even from decades ago, have found themselves in ICE custody despite spending years without facing serious immigration problems.What To KnowICE detained Dong after a kiosk did not recognize his information during his annual immigration check-in. He was then transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County, according to ICE's online detainee locator system.Dong had entered the United States in 1981 as a 12-year-old refugee from Vietnam and received a green card shortly thereafter. In 1989, Dong pleaded guilty to robbery and was later found to have violated probation after a subsequent burglary charge, which led to a prison sentence.ICE told Newsweek that Dong served more than five years in prison "for various felonies" including robbery, multiple burglaries and grand theft.The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) says that a green card holder has the right to live permanently in the U.S., provided they do not commit any actions that "would make you removable under immigration law." This includes committing crimes and not filing taxes.A removal order was entered in 1999, and Dong remained in the U.S. under release conditions that required periodic check-ins with immigration authorities.Dong's wife, Christy Huynh, a U.S. citizen, told NBC 7 that she and Dong had been married for more than 20 years and that their two children are also U.S. citizens. She said that "he became a new, different person" after serving his time.Hung Huynh, who describes Dong as a "close friend" appealed to California Governor Gavin Newsom for help with the case in Instagram posts reviewed by Newsweek."Chuong has fully turned his life around and has contributed greatly to our community," he wrote in one post."His detention has caused great hardship to our family and created a void in the community he has long served," Huynh wrote.A LinkedIn page reviewed by Newsweek that appears to belong to Dong shows that he worked at what appears to be his own inspection company, Dong's Inspection Services LLC, for more than 11 years. The profile says that he conducts a range of inspection services related to construction projects, including plumbing, electrical, mechanical and seismic bracing.The family has submitted letters of recommendation and a motion to vacate the 1989 conviction under a 2017 California law that allowed such action when defendants did not understand immigration consequences. A hearing is scheduled for August 26 in San Diego County Court."This is a due process issue, where his plea was fundamentally flawed and he did not knowingly accept these consequences," Dong's attorney, Adam Klugman, told NBC 7."If you had translated the concept of deportation in Vietnamese to him, his native language, he still would not have understood what that meant," Klugman said. "Almost 40 years later, he is facing the consequences, which is very unfortunate because he's a changed man."...What People Are SayingPatrick Divver, field office director of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations San Diego, told Newsweek in a Tuesday statement: "Dong is an illegal alien from Vietnam and a repeat felon who has racked up over five years in prison for various felonies to include robbery, multiple burglaries and grand theft. Further, Dong has been under a final order of removal for over 25 years clearly choosing to ignore this court order."Chuong Dong's wife, Christy Huynh, told NBC 7 San Diego: "I tried to explain to the officer that he had an active case going on. He didn't care. He didn't care. And one of the ICE agents was laughing, smiling, giggling, thinking that it's funny, you know? To them, it's like, destroying people, families—it's something that they can laugh at."Dong's attorney, Adam Klugman, told NBC 7 San Diego: "They could have removed him any time between 1999 and now," Klugman said. "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, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a previous statement shared with Newsweek: "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 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 NextA scheduled August 26 hearing in San Diego County Court will consider Dong's motion to vacate his 1989 conviction, according to local reporting. Any court decision would affect only the criminal record, as federal immigration officials retained discretion to reopen or modify removal proceedings.Divver told Newsweek that Dong "will remain in ICE custody until he is deported."Update, 8/19/25 at 8:49 p.m. ET: Additional information and comments from ICE were added.