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_****A new update from the July 12 hearing:****_ Here_****.****_ Hi, Finally I can bring you some great, amazing, wonderful news about Everlee Wihongi's case. As you will be aware, ICE kidnapped the New Zealander from LAX airport two months ago, on April 10. Jump To Comments A few hours ago, a judge in Wisconsin ruled that Everlee's 2014 marijuana charge has been vacated. Back in 2014 she made a plea deal, but her lawyer at the time had never warned her about the immigration consequences: That because marijuana is a controlled substance, it was an automatic deportation offense. Everlee had no idea about this, so she took the plea. Life went on for her – until, this year, it didn't. Having this charge from 12 years ago vacated is _huge_ , because it's the reason ICE kidnapped her (well that, and the racism). **ICE now have zero legal grounds to keep her detained.** __Everlee appearing via videolink from the Arizona ICE prison, to a courtroom in Wisconsin.__ * * * There is still work to be done. She's not out yet. Everlee's lawyer will now get the court order signed by the judge, and that then goes to the immigration court. Everlee has her immigration court hearing in three days' time, on June 12. Technically, Everlee may be free as early as next week. But ICE could also try and pull some shit. As I explained a few days ago, her case is being heard by a _California_ detention facility judge, because Everlee was detained in Los Angeles. But ICE moved Everlee to Arizona – and there's a chance the judge in California will go, _"I am not ruling on this case because it's in Arizona."_ Everlee and her team know the risks, and are taking a number of steps to mitigate this. And if things don't go Everlee's way, they have some other plans. I won't go into them here, for risk of compromising their case. But as of right now, as I send this missive, there is absolutely no justification for ICE to be holding Everlee Wihongi. _(Someone tell that to New Zealand's minister of foreign affairs Winston Peters, who has given exactly zero shits this entire time – never apologising for throwing Everlee under the bus by telling the media she'd lied on a form at LAX. As I reported back in May,_ there was no form_)._ _Webworm_ spoke to Everlee's mother Betty a few minutes ago, to ask that hack journalistic question of how she felt. In this case, it seems like a _very_ valid question: > "Just like wanting to cry, scream and howl at the moon all at once. An overwhelming sense of relief and joy." Us too, Betty. Us too. _David._ __You can control your whole Webworm account by logging in at__ www.webworm.co__- including changing your email address, account type, and updating your card details. There is also a__ FAQ page__about all things Webworm.__ ## **The Everlee Wihongi Series So Far:** **April 20:** When You're Daughter Is Kidnapped by ICE **April 25:** The ICE Detention Centre Housing Everlee Wihongi **April 28:** Everlee Will Remain Locked Up For Another Month **May 6:** Did Winston Peters Lie About Everlee? **May 10:** Everlee Has Disappeared **May 13:** Everlee Has Been Found in Arizona **May 28:** Everlee Update **June 7:** Story Updates: June 7 Edition **June 14:** Story Updates: From The June 12 Hearing __Spotted by a Webworm reader in Auckland, New Zealand.__

_****This post only appears online at www.webworm.co - it wasn't sent out as an email newsletter. To stay across Webworm though, make sure you are signed up:****_ Sign Up For Webworm Hi, I am on the road in Australia at the moment, but wanted to share this update from Everlee Wihongi's family about the hearing that happened on June 12. In short: ICE and the courts are messing with her, and she's not out yet. She will be – _she must be_ – but further works needs to be done by her legal team – and, you'd hope, by the New Zealand government. _David._ Jump To Comments * * * ## Update From The Wihongi Family RE: June 12 Hearing > First, despite Everlee having been transferred from California to Arizona more than a month ago, her case had never been formally transferred to the proper Immigration Court. The Immigration Judge acknowledged that this should have been done much earlier and stated that the failure to transfer the case appeared to be the result of a clerical error. The Judge expressed frustration that the matter had not been handled properly and apologized to the parties for the delay. > > Second, the Notice to Appear (NTA) filed against Everlee on April 15, 2026 did not contain the specific legal charges explaining why the Department of Homeland Security believed she was inadmissible to the United States. Because of that defect, Attorney Christopher filed a Motion to Terminate Proceedings on May 1, 2026. The motion had never been addressed, and DHS had not amended the NTA or provided supporting records despite having more than forty days to do so. DHS attorney didn’t know why they didn’t respond to the motion other than to say perhaps someone assumed the case would be moved to AZ. > > During the hearing, DHS acknowledged that additional review of the case was necessary. The government attorney requested additional time to review Everlee’s record and indicated that DHS would need to supplement the file if the case could proceed further. > > The hearing also highlighted communication issues within the detention system. Although Everlee had a hearing scheduled in Adelanto, Arizona detention officials never informed her of the court date or arranged for her appearance by video. Fortunately, because no testimony was required and Attorney Christopher was present, her absence did not negatively affect the case. > > Attorney Christopher presented the Wisconsin court records showing that Everlee’s 2014 conviction had been vacated. The Immigration Judge acknowledged that it appeared that the conviction had, in fact, been vacated. Based on the records before him, the Judge noted that the original basis for the inadmissibility charge appeared to no longer exist. However, because DHS had not yet completed its review or formally amended the charging documents, the Judge did not make a final ruling on termination. > > The DHS attorney also referenced several other prior arrests and convictions appearing on Everlee’s criminal history. Attorney Christopher has already thoroughly reviewed those matters and, based on current immigration law, none appear to constitute grounds of inadmissibility. The vacated 2014 conviction remains the only offense that had previously served as the basis for DHS’s inadmissibility allegations. > > At the conclusion of the hearing, the Judge ordered the case transferred to the proper Immigration Court in Arizona. As of today, Everlee’s case is officially being moved to the Arizona court system, where it should have been pending all along. > > While today did not result in an immediate release order, the hearing exposed significant procedural problems in the government’s handling of the case and confirmed that the conviction originally relied upon by DHS has been vacated. We will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available. _-The Wihongi Family._

Hi, If you've been reading _Webworm_ for a while, you'll be aware of Brian Houston. Born in New Zealand in 1954, he is the founder of Hillsong – the megachurch that would end up being the trendy church of choice for celebs like Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt, Nick Jonas, Selena Gomez, Kylie Jenner and Bono. Jump To Comments All the giant music production and lighting you see at modern megachurches? That was mostly Brian's doing. And along with other New Zealanders like Brooke Fraser, Hillsong made contemporary Christian worship music a multi-million dollar business. Things were going very well for Brian. He was famous in church circles and very, very rich. Then in January of 2022, he was charged by the Australian police for allegedly concealing his own father's crime – the sexual abuse of a child. It was all downhill from there, a variety of women coming forward with stories of Brian's own inappropriate sexual behaviour. As Webworm reported in March of 2022, Hillsong blamed Brian's behaviour on everything _except_ Brian: > _“Following an in-depth investigation, it was found that Pastor Brian became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol. This resulted in him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female occupant.”_ _Webworm_ has kept reporting on Hillsong – including listening in on their secret Zoom meetings – and while a disgraced Brian had to leave the church he founded, he's still supported by all the megachurch leaders that have made millions off his blueprint. You'd think he'd keep his head down a little – but every now and then, he accidentally shares his porn preferences to his half a million followers on social media. * * * The latest incident happened in the early hours of this morning X, where Brian has 544,000 followers. Elon Musk's social media platform is riddled with pornography, and it's where Brian Houston reshared a post from a porn account called "The Classic Pornostar Era 80/90/2000". It was just after 2am in California, where Brian is based – and while he usually shares things like this on X – – last night he shared 8 minutes and 23 seconds of hardcore porn, featuring two French porn stars from the 70s. I counted six different positions, and saw a lot of semen – which is what I imagine Houston _also_ saw at 2am when he accidentally hit the "share" button: As of writing, the post is still up. I am not here to shame an adult for watching pornography from the 70s. But given his former church's horrific messaging around sex, sexuality and purity – I think it's important to report on, because it's yet another reminder that these types of "Christian" leaders are absolutely full of shit on every conceivable, self-righteous level. Plus of course, this isn't the first time Houston has openly decided to share his pornographic preferences with the world. _****Thanks to all of you who pay for Webworm, and keep the journalism here ticking. Paying members always have direct access to me for Webworm tech support & questions, too: [email protected]****_ * * * ## Rewinding To February, 2024 ### This post is for subscribers only Become a member to get access to all content Subscribe now

_****This post only appears online at www.webworm.co - it wasn't sent out as an email newsletter. To stay across Webworm though, make sure you are signed up.****_ Join Webworm Hi, Today, Everlee had her second attempt at getting in front of a judge in Wisconsin – appearing over video link from the Eloy Federal Contract Facility in Arizona. Jump To Comments As you will recall, this was meant to happen a week ago, but the WiFi went down in the ICE facility (or so Everlee was told). This time, she did manage to appear. Today's hearing was to vacate her 2014 marijuana charge off her record – the thing ICE appears to be using to keep her detained. The grounds for vacating the charge is because of the shoddy representation she got from her attorney back then. _"Everlee shared her testimony and got questioned by the district attorney and killed it. She did a really good job,"_ her sister-in-law Courtney Wihongi says. _"This was really big getting her testimony and the questioning done and on the record."_ __Inside the court.__ But there is still more to be done. The judge didn't make a decision because they want Michael Peterson, Everlee's old attorney from 2014, to give testimony. As you will recall, Peterson was disbarred for lying to clients, and forging a judge's signature. Still – the judge wants to hear from them. Everlee's current lawyer Marc Christopher did try and get in touch last week, but got no response. Today, the judge will issue a subpoena that Everlee's current legal team needs to _"exhaust all avenues"_ to get to her old, shitty lawyer. Then, on June 9, it's back to court in Wisconsin. Either the old lawyer will be present, or Everlee's team will show evidence that they _tried_ to get him as best they could. Not sure how much faith I have in a disbarred lawyer being findable or willing, but we'll see how it goes. __Everlee's 2014 lawyer: disbarred.__ Whatever the case, things will continue on June 9 – and the judge will make their decision on vacating a 14-year-old weed conviction that Everlee has already paid for. From there – there will be an immigration court hearing on June 12. Hopefully Everlee and her team have good news to take into that hearing. **_It's been 48 days since Everlee was taken by ICE at LAX airport on April 10._** _David._ * * * ## **The Everlee Wihongi Series So Far:** **April 20:** When You're Daughter Is Kidnapped by ICE **April 25:** The ICE Detention Centre Housing Everlee Wihongi **April 28:** Everlee Will Remain Locked Up For Another Month **May 6:** Did Winston Peters Lie About Everlee? **May 10:** Everlee Has Disappeared **May 13:** Everlee Has Been Found in Arizona **May 21:** Everlee Foiled By ICE, Again

All of __Webworm__ 's public interest journalism – including its reporting on Everlee Wihongi – is kept free of paywalls, and of advertising. This is made 100% possibly thanks to __Webworm__ 's paying members. If it causes you zero financial hardship, consider signing up. You can cancel anytime. Support Webworm Hi, Early this afternoon members of Everlee Wihongi's family met with her lawyer at the Fond du Lac County courthouse in Wisconsin, about an hour's drive northwest of Milwaukee. "_Fingers crossed that it goes well,"_ Everlee's mother Betty texted me. The hearing was due to take place at 1.30pm. Jump To Comments Everlee's lawyer, Marc Christopher, had one main aim today: To get Everlee's "marijuana possession" conviction from 2014 vacated. Without that historical conviction, Everlee goes free. That was the plan. Most of Christopher's argument revolves around Everlee's previous lawyer from 10 years ago giving bad advice, and being a terrible lawyer. As _Webworm_ reported on April 28, he was disbarred for lying to clients, and forging a judge's signature. Everlee's former lawyer (often a sweaty mess) never told his client that pleading guilty could cause problems with her with future immigration. Back in 2014, Everlee was under the impression that after admitting the charge, she would be punished – and life would go on. And for a decade, it had. She trained and became a successful welder. She got a partner. She got a dog. Everlee was also meant to be a key part of today's hearing. She had important points to make on the stand (in her case, "the stand" was calling in from the Eloy Federal Contract Facility, an ICE prison in Arizona) – about her previous case, and her life in the USA. Everlee didn't get to take the stand. As 1.30pm rolled around, Everlee couldn't call in. Magically, the WiFi in the ICE prison had ceased to work. As I've written about previously on _Webworm_ , ICE marches to the beat of a different drum. A key part of their M.O. is making sure those imprisoned don't get to meet with their lawyer easily, and in cases like today – don't get to take the stand in front of a judge in a different state. __Confusion in the hallway after Everlee couldn't Zoom in from the ICE detention facility.__ _Webworm_ talked to Everlee's sister-in-law Courtney Wihongi a short while ago. The family was trying to make sense of what had just happened. > _"It was a freaking crap show. We've been working for the past two weeks to try and get Everlee to be able to appear via Zoom. On Monday, we were guaranteed – between the New Zealand consulate, and our lawyer working with the facility – the facility guaranteed us that it would work out, and that Everlee would be able to appear via Zoom for the hearing today."_ Betty got a call from Everlee at 1.15pm, stating that the facility has no internet and she would not be able to appear via Zoom. "_I just knew. I thought something would happen,"_ Betty tells me. It was incredibly frustrating, as she was on the phone to her mother – who was inside the courthouse. However the judge wasn't content having Everlee on speaker, as it wouldn't suffice for the court stenographer. This is understandable. ICE's sudden lack of the internet is not. _"I'm just so irritated,"_ Betty tells me. * * * Everlee's hearing has been delayed until next Thursday. The only upside is that Everlee's lawyer has now met the DA, and they were able to have a conversation. Despite their frustration, Everlee's family – out in full force today – is quietly confident about next week. It's their only choice. It's been 41 days since Everlee was taken by ICE at LAX airport on April 10. She will remain at the Eloy Federal Contract Facility, a private prison operated by CoreCivic. It spans seven football fields and holds 1600 detainees. Betty recently relayed this story to _Webworm_ about Everlee's intake there: > Her intake group were told that they'd have to complete their intake by signing some forms, in a different block. > > Later that day, a male guard came and got them. He took them through the strip search section – which was a weird detour. There was a door that had _"Do Not Enter, Strip Search in Progress"_ as they walked by. They could see into the room, and there was a guard in the room pulling his pants up and doing up his belt. > > The other women asked why he was getting dressed in a strip search room. Their guard told them, _"Not to worry about it"._ > > They were then given forms, and they were told to sign where the guard had marked X's. The other ladies signed, but Everlee read it and told them she wasn't going to sign. She said they wanted her to sign off on handbook access – which she didn't get – and wanted her to sign a "refusal to pass info on in case of emergencies". That was another no. _Webworm_ will keep you updated with what happens next. _David._ * * * ## **The Everlee Wihongi Series So Far:** **April 20:** When You're Daughter Is Kidnapped by ICE **April 25:** The ICE Detention Centre Housing Everlee Wihongi **April 28:** Everlee Will Remain Locked Up For Another Month **May 6:** Did Winston Peters Lie About Everlee? **May 10:** Everlee Has Disappeared **May 13:** Everlee Has Been Found in Arizona

Hi, Thanks for reading my piece on Kyron Gosse, the New Zealand wealth and property coach who slapped a contractor on camera. And a huge thanks to Savannah for her openness and bravery in talking. I'm in touch with her, and she's doing okay. Jump To Comments I'm proud _Webworm_ got the story out before any mainstream press outlets, which followed up over the next few days: __New Zealand's major news outlets all followed up.__ To be clear, these outlets didn't steal _Webworm_ 's story – they all worked off the same video that had been posted online, and talked to the victim. Some of them had sharing arrangements, and re-shared each other's stories. But I do feel proud we went first _(I say "we" because Webworm has guest writers, smart colleagues behind the scenes, and a lawyer I consult with) –_ because _Webworm_ is nimble, and is willing to take risks that bigger newsrooms are sometimes hesitant to take. Basically, publishing a story like this comes with certain legal risks – so part of the reason mainstream newsrooms were slow to report this story is that they would have been waiting for their in-house legal counsel to go over everything. _Webworm_ isn't deranged – I have a lawyer I consult – but we move fast on things. We have a greater appetite for risk. And once our story was online, we'd essentially done what other newsrooms were perhaps hesitant to do, which made hitting "publish" for them less scary. I'd broken the seal. And yes – Kyron Gosse did issue legal threats. ## The Legal Threats Gosse largely ignored _Webworm_ 's specific questions, and came back with a blanket statement: > Hi David > > “Savannah is subject to a cease and desist letter for the breach of her obligations to our business, and for harassment and other statutory offenses. An injuction [SIC] application will be following given that Savannah is continuing with the prohibited conduct notwithstanding being reminded that this is illegal. You would be wise to seek legal advice before publishing any information obtained from Savannah as it may make your organization complicit in the conduct.” > > Kyron A few things to note. Firstly, in what I assume is supposed to be some kind of power move, he copied in a lawyer – Cockcroft d’Young Moorhouse's Iva Wright. Gosse also wrote the legal threat in quote marks, as if he was quoting – I assume – Iva Wright. But the threat is mostly garbage and spells "injunction" wrong – so I'm guessing it's just Gosse furiously typing. _Webworm_ received the _same_ exact response from the Wealth Mentor office ([email protected]), signed off as "Wealth Mentor". The questions _Webworm_ had posed were: > -Do you confirm that you slapped Savannah on the face? > -Why did you do this? > -Do you regret doing this? > -Have you reached out to Savannah since this incident took place, offering any kind of apology or next steps > -Have you slapped or physically connected with any other clients? ie is this common behaviour in your teachings? > -Is there anything else you would like _Webworm_ to be aware of? Without any real answers from Kyron, we have to look elsewhere. ## Kyron's Stance On The Slap While Kyron ignored _Webworm_ 's questions and fired off legal threats, behind the scenes he was explaining things to the Wealth Mentor group chat. _Webworm_ has viewed a message Gosse allegedly sent to group chat for Wealth Mentor members saying, _"There is a lot of context missing from what's being shared"_ and _"This is now a legal matter."_ He ends with, _"We'll keep doing what we do best."_ What that _is_ exactly is unclear. * * * In summary – I want to thank you for allowing me to cover stories like this for _Webworm_. To those of you who pay for it: **Thank you**. You let me get legal advice, and defend myself in court when it comes to that (and it does). _Webworm_ dies without you. This is probably a good reminder for paying subs to login at www.webworm.co and **check your card details are all up to date**. I've been losing a lot of paying members lately who don't realise they've stopped paying! To free members – thanks for reading, and sharing my stories when you can. If you are secretly rolling in money, consider becoming a paid supporter. ****Want to keep**** _****Webworm****_****going, and ad-free? Consider coming on board as a monthly or yearly subscriber.**** Support Webworm: Become a Full Member Paying members get extra tech support _(by emailing [email protected])_ and can take part in the wonderful community in the comments section. They also get more personal stuff from me. For instance, my next story for paying members will be about the subject of a _Webworm_ story filing a criminal complaint against me with the LAPD in an attempt to shut me up (yes, as in the Los Angeles Police Department as portrayed in _The Rookie_). Thanks to you, dear reader, I will not be shutting up. Also – _you can't write this shit_. _Webworm_ continues to take me, and you, to the weirdest places. _David._ Please do take a moment to login at www.webworm.co and check that your account details are all up to date. You can change your account type, update your payment details, change your name and email address, and check all your email settings are correct!

Hi, Thanks to you sharing my _Webworm_ stories, emailing politicians, and making loud noises – Everlee's story has blown up, getting widespread coverage. The pressure is on: Her case is being talked about in New Zealand's parliament, and for the first time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed they are in touch with ICE. This is huge. Most importantly, Everlee Wihongi is back on the grid. We know where she is. Jump To Comments * * * ### Everlee's Location As previously reported, Everlee was originally being held in California. Then, just as she was about to meet with her lawyer, she was moved. For a time she was listed as being detained at the notorious "Camp East Montana" at Fort Bliss, Texas. Then she dropped off the map. Late on Sunday night, she was back on ICE's database – but with no guide on where she was. _"Call ICE for Details"_ was as much as we got. _Webworm_ has audio from a call Everlee made during that time: Everlee: audio as she waits at an ICE airport. 0:00 /142.071293 1× The good news is that we now have her location again: She's being held at the "Eloy Federal Contract Facility", essentially a private prison operated by CoreCivic. It spans seven football fields and holds 1600 detainees. The bad news is that Eloy is fairly horrific: > _Since its ICE contract began, the facility has faced repeated scrutiny. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security watchdog report last year found staff failed to preserve video from several use-of-force incidents, limiting investigators’ ability to review what occurred. Members of Congress and advocacy groups have also cited allegations from detainees describing harsh conditions and mistreatment._ If you want to learn more about where Everlee is imprisoned, this report is a good place to start: _"_ Medical Neglect, Strip Searches, and Abuse: Deadly and Dehumanizing Conditions in the Eloy Detention Center (June 2024-November 2025)_"._ * * * ### Thanks To You, Everlee's Story Is Being Told After _Webworm_ broke the story about Everlee disappearing, her story is being widely reported across the New Zealand media, including _1New_ s, _ThreeNews_ , _RNZ_ , _Stuff_ and the _NZ Herald_. I've also given a few TV news interviews in order to help spread the story further. Finally, I've passed the contact details for certain interested media outlets (and grassroots organisations) onto Everlee's mother Betty, so she has the opportunity to tell her story in other places. It's been amazing to see her story spread: __Betty on New Zealand's Three News, with Samantha Hayes.__ Radio New Zealand has been doing amazing work, Mihi Forbes and Lucy Xia reporting that The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has finally decided to actually _do something_ (not much, but something): > Foreign Minister Winston Peters' office said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (MFAT) consular team have been in contact with ICE officials to clarify what Everlee Wihongi has been charged with. > > This is the first time the government has confirmed any direct contact with US officials since Wihongi's detention on 10 April. As you will recall, the first thing Winston Peters did was make a blanket statement to the New Zealand media that Everlee Wihongi had lied on an immigration form. As _Webworm_ pointed out, Winston was absolutely full of shit. But the damage was done. Most of New Zealand decided Everlee Wihongi was a brown criminal who deserved what she got. Every news story posted on social media about Everlee Wihongi was riddled with Peters' disinformation. __My colleague Dylan spent half a day replying to people like this. It was, overall, futile.__ RNZ has also talked to Everlee's lawyer in a really insightful conversation. He talks about the stuff _Webworm_ reported on last month – that Everlee has two weed offenses from over a decade ago, and she got really shitty advice from her lawyer (who has since been disbarred). In all of this, Winston Peters himself still largely gives zero fucks, The Post writing: > Foreign Affairs Minster Winston Peters says New Zealand citizen Everlee Wihongi would have to be facing the death penalty in America in order for him to intervene. One can't help but wonder how this would be playing out if Everlee was a white influencer. * * * ### What Can You Do? As I said earlier, _Webworm_ readers have been amazing. **You have been sharing all my stories from** www.webworm.co**in a way I've never seen before.** That's the whole idea of _Webworm_ : I report here, and it spreads. Thanks to anyone new here who's signed up to the free or paid version of this newsletter! If you're in New Zealand, **reach out to your local MP or Winston Peters' office**. Try to stay measured. Write from the heart, but with the facts you have. The pressure is helping: Politicians are stepping up and questioning the government's pathetic response. There is a gathering planned this Saturday at 1pm outside MFAT in Auckland, New Zealand. And remember the GoFundMe for Everlee's legal defence. To be clear – Everlee's situation is still dire. There is no clear timeline to when this will be resolved. ICE are good at moving people around so they miss court dates. Sometimes they disappear. Sometimes they die. Which is why – _as her family and lawyer do the work_ – we must keep the pressure on. Again, thank you _Webworm_ family for caring about this. Everlee's aunt Jen left this comment under my last piece. It's for you, too: > "Our whanau are truly grateful for your continued attention on this. We are grateful for your platform. It’s what journalism is supposed to be about. In fact Betty was saying that you are whanau now. Meitaki Ma’ata- Cook Islands word for thank you." _David._ _****This reporting is made possible thanks to Webworm's paid members. Thank you.****_ __Everlee - back in better times.__

Hi, New Zealander Everlee Wihongi is still stuck in an ICE prison, after getting detained at LAX airport on April 10. She has been wearing her orange prison jumpsuit for nearly a month. Jump To Comments While her story is finally getting mainstream coverage in outlets like The Guardian_,_ New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters, has washed his hands of the entire thing. Peters’ main talking point is that Everlee apparently didn’t declare her prior conviction (weed, a decade ago), telling assembled reporters: > _“When the form asks you to do things, complete the form accurately.”_ The thing is, as a Green Card holder **there was no form** **for Everlee to fill out at immigration**. It’s sort of impossible to complete the form accurately **when the form does not exist**. __New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs claims a "form" is why Everlee has been detained for nearly a month.__ _Webworm_ spoke to a US immigration attorney about this, who also indicated Peters was full of shit: > _"It's not like there was a form that she could have completed inaccurately, because there is no specific form asking about recent arrests, charges or convictions. > > There is no specific form for Lawful Permanent Residents [what Everlee is]. > > There is another form that visitors must fill out, but LPRs (like Everlee) or US citizens do not have to complete it. > > So, in short, there is no requirement for a LPR to disclose a years old charge upon re-entry into the United States."_ I pressed the immigration attorney further, as Winston Peters was so adamant about these _"forms"_. I asked if there could be _any other_ _form_ involved, at any step in the process: > _"No idea when she last renewed her Green Card, but Green Cards generally are valid for 10 years at a time. However, when you fill out an I-90 (the form to renew or replace a Green Card), if you take a look at it, there is also nowhere on the form that you have to disclose arrests, convictions, or charges."_ She went on. > _"Everlee should hopefully be released on bond by the next time we hear about her case. [That said] bond is being denied in 95% of the cases. I have a few clients at_ Adelanto_right now as well. > > They are just doing everything possible to make people just decide to go back to their home country instead of being detained indefinitely. But for many people who are detained, this is their home. And they are not criminals, that's just the messaging they want Americans to believe to be able to sleep at night about these detention centers."_ Neither Winston Peters or Christopher Luxon have replied to _Webworm_ 's original enquiries last month. With all this in mind, I wanted to share an essay from Everlee’s aunt, Jen Hewett-Sauauga. Jen lives in New Zealand, and has been watching Everlee’s US imprisonment unfold with horror – along with the New Zealand government essentially extending Everlee the middle finger. * * * # **Good People** ** _by Jen Hewett-Sauauga_** Good people – people who put family and love at the core of their values – have raised Everlee. Her dad Gordon is a man with humility, and a quiet inner strength. He hails from the Far North of Aotearoa, New Zealand and is of Nga Puhi descent. Nga Puhi is one of the iwi or tribes of the Maori, the indigenous people of Aotearoa. Everlee’s mother Betty is from the Cook Islands, born in Aitutaki and raised in Tokoroa, a town in the North Island of New Zealand. Betty is extroverted, kind and intelligent. I am fortunate to have been embraced by the aroha (love) of the Wihongi whanau (family), being Betty’s sister. __Everlee (right) with parents Betty and Gordon, travelling to New Zealand via Fiji.__ Everlee’s maternal line through Betty is from the Cook Islands. Then there’s the American side! Everlee’s great-great-grandfather was William Thomas Hewett, who came from Oregon. Her great-grandfather was Richard Louis Bixby, who came from New York state. William Thomas Hewett (Everlee's great-great-grandfather), and Richard Louis Bixby (Everlee's great-grandfather). William Thomas Hewett was a merchant trader who sailed to the Pacific, settling on a beautiful island called Aitutaki. He met Rangiuru, and they had many children (this is where we got our European surname “Hewett” from!) One of William and Rangiuru’s children was Amelia May, Everlee’s great-grandmother. Everlee was named after her. American military personnel were stationed in Aitutaki in WW2, because of the threat of Japanese invasion in the Pacific. When the Americans left Aitutaki, they also left numerous babies behind – and my grandmother Amelia May had one of these children. She’d formed a relationship with one of the Americans stationed on the island, Richard Louis Bixby. Everlee’s grandfather, Richard Louis Bixby Hewett, was born in October 1944 after his father had left Aitutaki. Richard’s daughter was Betty, Everlee’s mother. __Everlee’s grandfather, Richard__ __Louis Bixby__ __Hewett.__ Māori whakapapa to show the connections they have; to demonstrate a belonging to a people and a place. It also helps others know what the connections are. In the Cook Islands, it is called akapapa. When you break the word down, whaka/aka is a prefix meaning ‘to make’, and papa means succession or a basalt rock foundation. Your forebears are the foundation for your descendant’s, so it was important to know your history. The English translation is genealogy, which has lost the full rich and nuanced meaning of what whakapapa means. The people of the Pacific Islands can whakapapa to each other. Our oral histories and stories connect us as the water of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa (The Pacific Ocean) connects the islands of the Pacific. * * * Everlee can whakapapa to America. She is connected to America by blood that can be traced through the Hewett’s and the Bixby’s. The history of our family in America reaches back for many generations. We have scientific evidence that backs up our family stories through DNA tests that link us to our American cousins. However, our whakapapa and our DNA mean nothing when we are contending with western race based policy that de-legitimises our sense of connection and belonging. Everlee’s granddad Richard Hewett missed out on a connection with his biological father, the man that he was named after. Sadly, he died before a DNA test done by our younger sister Louise, helped us find our Bixby family. Dad died not meeting a family who would have welcomed him with open arms. During World War II there were laws in place which prohibited interracial marriage, and interracial fraternisation. Rigid laws didn’t stop human connection though, as evidenced by the babies that were born throughout the Pacific during American occupation. Right now, Everlee’s legitimacy is called into question. Despite holding a valid Green Card, she is in ICE detention. Her belonging in America comes from her parents who were handpicked to work in America in the 1990s. She has grown up in America, worked and paid taxes there. Her belonging also comes from her blood ties from her great-great-grandfather, and her great-grandfather. Why has that legitimacy been stripped away from her? Is it because of a historical misdemeanour during her rebellious years? Is it because she has voiced her political views? or is it because the colour of her skin takes away her legitimacy? We as a whanau only have speculation and no answers – 27 days after ICE took her. **_-Jen Hewett-Sauauga_** __Jen, Everlee's auntie.__ * * * _****Just quickly, thanks to all those who have a paid Webworm subscription: You literally keep this place ticking, and allow me to cover stories like Everlee Wihongi's kidnapping by ICE.****_ _****All paying members get to take part in the comments section, and can always reach me directly at [email protected]****_ David here again. I'm incredibly grateful for Jen's insights into all of this. Also thanks to the immigration attorney that gave her time. Winston Peters – _crickets_. If you're anything like me, and names and family trees tend to blur in your mind, here is my very crude scrawl that helped me make sense of it all: One last thing I wanted to note: Thanks to rhetoric from politicians like Winston Peters – _essentially blaming Everlee for all of this, and indicating the US is a sane system dealing with it all_ – there are a lot of people assuming the worst about Everlee. There are incredibly racist elements in New Zealand. It's not _just_ the United States. Jen told me she's been seeing horrible comments on social media, often posted under news stories about Everlee. She's grateful for the _Webworm_ comments section. I told her when I posted about my stories on social media, I heavily moderated the comments. Racists (a lot of them) are blocked and banned. Jen had this to say about it all: > _"Thanks for the deletes and blocks on your posts. There are some shitty insignificant people hiding behind the safety of their screens. > > I’ve had to tell my kids and my nieces and nephews to not read the comments because they were getting upset about what people were saying about their cousin and sister. > > I want to protect them from the ugliness. The only way I can do that is to teach my kids to not be part of the ugliness. > > And if you have to read a comment, pay attention to the good ones. Throw the rest away like the rubbish they are."_ So thanks for being sane and kind, all of you. And thanks for reading this piece, and taking a continued interest in Everlee's story. _David._

_****Like all of Webworm's public interest journalism, there is no paywall - and there are no ads. This is made possible thanks to its paying subscribers. This work is not possible without them. Thank you.****_ Hi, As I write this newsletter at 7.42pm in New York, New Zealander Everlee Wihongi has disappeared. Still in ICE custody, her family and lawyer have no fucking idea where she is. Let me explain. Jump To Comments Yesterday, Everlee Wihongi was meant to meet with her lawyer at the ICE detainment centre _Webworm_ visited last month. Meeting with her lawyer was a key step in getting free from all of this. Then things changed. At 1.28pm, I got a message from her mother, Betty:_"They have pulled a fast one. They are transferring Evs to Arizona. It's happening now."_ ICE is known to do this – moving detainees suddenly, from place to place. As _The American Prospect_ reported last year, ICE is essentially hiding clients from their lawyers: > _"ICE uses bureaucracy and location transfers to isolate their detainees from both their families and their lawyers, limiting their ability to get out of their predicaments and increasing misery and hopelessness."_ Then things got worse. * * * According to ICE's own Online Detainee Locator System, Everlee had been moved to ICE's notorious "Camp East Montana" at Fort Bliss, Texas. In short, this is the United States' largest and worst ICE detainment centre – somehow an insanely worse situation to where Everlee was previously locked up. It is the largest immigrant detention centre in the US – an industrial tent city of 3000 detainees. There are 2000 beds. It also has the most detainees who have died inside. According to NPR: > _Out of 25 people who died in ICE detention since October, three of them were at Camp East Montana. > > ICE inspectors in February found 49 violations to detention standards at the facility, including inadequate medical care and failure from staff to "accurately document required checks to prevent significant self-harm and suicide."_ __Camp East Montana.__ In December last year, human rights groups sent a letter outlining other behaviour at the facility: > _"Detainee reports reveal shocking conditions of confinement at Ft. Bliss > including multiple incidents of use of force by officers against detainees that involve abusive sexual contact, several of which have required hospitalization. > > Detained immigrants further report lack of adequate food and the provision of spoiled food, leading to hunger and significant weight loss; inadequate medical care; failure to provide basic hygiene supplies, including soap; squalid conditions, including sewage entering meal areas, and lack of cleaning supplies; prolonged detention in hold rooms; lack of outdoor recreation; and unreasonable barriers to access to counsel."_ There have also been outbreaks of tuberculosis and measles. It's so bad, its existence is being reevaluated (and yet it still exists). So yes – that is where Everlee (left out to dry by New Zealand's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters) was moved yesterday. * * * Then it got – _somehow_ – worse. Everlee has disappeared. As I write this, she is no longer listed on ICE's online detainee locator system. _Webworm_ has spoken to Everlee's mother Betty, who currently has no idea where her daughter is: > _"They want to mentally and emotionally break people. If it looks like you have support, they are going to move you and keep you scared and anxious."_ According to a lawyer who knows Everlee's case intimately: > _"They are probably moving her to a different facility. This is what they have been doing. It is a way to “forum shop” and make it hard for attorneys to represent them. This never happened in the past."_ This level of movement – and the disappearing – is new. Betty (who is an American citizen; Everlee has a Green Card) went on: > _"Winston Peters has washed his hands of anything to do with New Zealanders in custody. So if you are a New Zealander in custody here, you are screwed. MFAT is too busy kissing up to the US to actually do his job. > > The NZ Consulate are good people, [but] with no teeth. They can't step in unless something is so out of place that it is obvious. Everlee's situation doesn't even raise an eyebrow for them. > > And finally, ICE is an agency that has congressional backing to act against our constitution with impunity. > > And boy, do they ever."_ Finally, _Webworm_ spoke to Everlee's sister: > _"I am urging Winston Peters to look into my sister Everlee’s case himself. Reach out to the family. Reach out to our lawyer. 31 days. No charge. > > We are fighting a system that is deliberately disrupting her legal access, dragging this out hoping she breaks. Everlee has always been proud of her Māori roots and loves being from New Zealand. Mr. Peters, we don’t even know where she is right now. It’s time to step in. Inquire. Advocate. She deserves that much."_ * * * I am deeply aware that _Webworm_ is not an ICE newsletter. It is not an Everlee Wihongi newsletter. But Everlee's situation speaks to so much that aligns with _Webworm_ 's values: A sense of justice, and the utter madness exhibited not just by the United States – but by the New Zealand government as well, who have washed their hands of this brown body that they, of course, give zero shits about. _David._ ## **Update: Monday May 11, 1.18pm ET:** We know where Everlee is. * As previously reported, for a time she was listed as being detained at the notorious "Camp East Montana" at Fort Bliss, Texas. She then dropped off the map. * Late last night, she was back on ICE's database – but with no guide on where she was. _"Call ICE for Details"_ was as much as we got. * As of today, she is back on the map: Listed as being in Arizona at the "Eloy Federal Contract Facility". It's not great either: This, from the Arizona Mirror: > _The Eloy Detention Center is operated by private prison contractor CoreCivic. It spans seven football fields laid side-by-side, and can hold about 1,600 detainees at any time. > > Since its ICE contract began, the facility has faced repeated scrutiny. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security watchdog report last year found staff failed to preserve video from several use-of-force incidents, limiting investigators’ ability to review what occurred. Members of Congress and advocacy groups have also cited allegations from detainees describing harsh conditions and mistreatment._ * * * _****Like all of Webworm's public interest journalism, there is no paywall - and there are no ads. This is made possible thanks to its paying subscribers. Thank you.****_ Become a Full Member _****Give a one-off donation to Webworm:****_ Donation box * * * ## Webworm's Everlee Series So Far: Everlee Update + THANK YOUWe hear Everlee’s voice, and the pressure is finally on.Webworm with David FarrierDavid FarrierEverlee Has DisappearedEverlee Wihongi was transferred by ICE to the notorious “Camp East Montana” at Fort Bliss, Texas. Then she disappeared.Webworm with David FarrierDavid FarrierDid Winston Peters Lie About Everlee?New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters told the media Everlee Wihongi didn’t fill in a form declaring her past. Is he fibbing? Webworm’s David Farrier reports.Webworm with David FarrierDavid FarrierEverlee Will Remain Locked Up For Another MonthEverlee Wihongi has appeared in court, only to be sent back to ICE detention until at least June 10. David Farrier of Webworm talks to her mother Betty about the news.Webworm with David FarrierDavid FarrierThe ICE Detention Centre Housing Everlee WihongiVisiting Everlee Wihongi, the New Zealander kidnapped by ICE, at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. David Farrier’s Webworm.Webworm with David FarrierDavid FarrierWhen Your Daughter is Kidnapped by ICEDavid Farrier’s Webworm talks to Betty Wihongi, whose Kiwi daughter Everlee got kidnapped by ICE at LAX after a trip to New Zealand.Webworm with David FarrierDavid Farrier