Who Is Victor Avila? Age, Nationality and Career Profile of the Green Card Holder Detained by ICE

Victor Avila, a green card holder and a U.S. resident, is at the center of a growing immigration controversy after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers at San Francisco International Airport. His case has raised genuine concerns about the treatment of all the legal permanent residents in the United States.

What Really Happened?

Avila was taken into ICE custody on May 7 after he returned from a trip to Japan. He has gone there to visit his son, who is a U.S. Air Force servicemember. Victor was traveling with his wife, who was not detained. Later, Victor got transferred to an ICE detention center near Bakersfield, California. The case has sparked and gained public attention, with a ‘GoFundMe’ campaign being launched to support his legal defense, raising over $20,000.

Age, Nationality, and Career Profile

Victor Avila is a 66-year-old man who immigrated from Mexico in 1967 and is now a legal permanent resident of the United States. For decades now, he has been living in San Diego, California. He has worked for more than ten years as a legal assistant at the law firm Kiwan & Chambers APC. 

Personal Life

Victor Avila's personal life centers around his family, all of whom are U.S. citizens. He lives with his wife and is a father to four children and a grandfather to six grandchildren. 

Past Legal Issue Resurfaces

According to his daughter Carina Mejia, Avila was previously arrested in 2009 for a misdemeanor drug possession. She emphasized that he completed his sentence, paid all related fines, and has successfully renewed his green card twice since then. But even after his legal rehabilitation and continued residency, this past offense may have triggered the current ICE action.

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Policy Context and Public Reaction

Avila’s detention aligns with the Trump administration’s intensified immigration enforcement under the renewed use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. This little-known law allows authorities to remove non-citizens without court proceedings. As of early 2025, over 100,000 individuals have reportedly been deported under these provisions, according to Newsweek.

Conclusion

Victor Avila’s case overall shows the complexities of U.S. immigration enforcement in the current political climate.