Chinese activist detained after nine years living openly in U.S.
Dec 9, 2025 · Yermo, CA, China
Xiaowei Song, a Chinese national who entered the U.S. on an F-1 student visa in May 2016 and engaged in publicly documented activism against the Chinese Communist Party, was arrested on December 9, 2025, during a traffic stop in Yermo, California after immigration agents conducting surveillance identified him from a photograph. He had lived openly in the U.S. for over nine years without immigration enforcement contact. Song was charged as deportable for visa overstay and detained at Adelanto ICE Processing Center. On June 16, 2026, an immigration judge denied his bond request, finding him a flight risk. The federal court denied his habeas petition seeking immediate release, finding that a post-deprivation bond hearing under 8 U.S.C. § 1226(a) satisfied his due process rights.
Sources
More incidents in California
- Rideshare driver detained at Camp Pendleton gate despite valid work permitAug 23, 2026 · Oceanside, CA
- Mexican father arrested by ICE during morning walk in Redondo BeachAug 22, 2026 · Redondo Beach, CA
- Man deported to Mexico after 30 years in the US finds refuge in 'Little LA'Aug 21, 2026 · Los Angeles, CA
- Oceanside man killed in Tijuana months after ICE deportationAug 21, 2026 · Oceanside, CA
- ICE says San Diego County blocked agents from routine training facilitiesAug 20, 2026 · San Diego, CA
- Bangladeshi woman denied medication in ICE custody, now pushes for reform billAug 20, 2026 · California City, CA