A Chinese man traveling from Hawaii to Las Vegas was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at the Las Vegas airport. The man, who is a pending asylum seeker, was accused of illegal residence in the United States.
According to a report by KLAS-TV, a local television station in Las Vegas on September 9th, the Chinese national, Jialiang Wei, appeared in court in Las Vegas on Tuesday (September 8th) for a hearing with a federal immigration judge.
Wei was arrested at the Harry Reid International Airport on August 19th. His lawyer claimed that he was surrounded by five officers as he disembarked from an Alaska Airlines flight from Hawaii.
Born in China, Wei currently has a pending asylum application.
“Why are some asylum seekers being arrested by ICE while their cases are legally pending with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)?” questioned Wei’s lawyer, Dee Sull, outside the courtroom on Tuesday.
During Tuesday’s immigration hearing, federal prosecutors pointed out issues with Wei’s asylum application. They revealed that Wei arrived in Hawaii in 2015 but did not apply for asylum until 2022.
Sull told KLAS-TV that Wei has no criminal record. He owns several restaurants in Hawaii and lives there with his wife and two children born in the U.S. His mother has also been granted asylum.
ICE has recently expanded immigration enforcement at airports across the United States, resulting in a significant increase in arrests. According to a report by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) on August 7th, immigration officers are now arresting approximately 20 to 40 people per day at airports nationwide, compared to less than 10 people per day in May 2025.
The Wall Street Journal reported that recent airport arrests by ICE include individuals whose visas have expired but have other pending legal statuses, such as green card or asylum applicants. Earlier airport enforcement mainly targeted immigrants with final deportation orders.
Ultimately, a federal immigration judge approved Wei’s request for bail. However, Sull emphasized that Wei has no criminal record.
On April 6th of this year, Arpine Misakyan slapped her husband at a buffet in the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas and was subsequently arrested by the Metropolitan Police Department on charges of domestic violence. The couple was visiting from Southern California at the time.
It was reported that Misakyan had a pending asylum application at the time.
“In Nevada, we have a 12-hour hold policy. This way, you can separate and calm down,” the officer told Misakyan’s husband.
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office decided not to pursue domestic violence charges against Misakyan, but this did not prevent ICE from deporting Misakyan back to Armenia.
ICE stated that after three months of being detained by ICE, Misakyan voluntarily departed on July 4th.
Steve Hill, the CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), told KLAS-TV that while he had heard about ICE enforcement actions, it is crucial to ensure that those who have the right to stay and legally be in the area feel welcomed.