IAM member detained at Sea-Tac

Brother Maximo Londonio was detained by Customs and Border Protection returning from the Philippines with his family

SEATTLE, WA (May 20, 2025) — Another union member has been taken and held by immigration authorities after returning from a trip to the Philippines. Maximo Londonio — a green card holder, resident of Olympia, WA and member of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge 695 — was detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon his return to the United States, despite his legal permanent resident status. A father of three, he has been detained at Sea-Tac Airport for more than four days.

Maximo’s case echoes the detention of Lewelyn Dixon, a member of SEIU Local 925 and lab technician at the University of Washington. Both are Filipino immigrants who’ve lived in the U.S. most of their lives, both are green card holders, and both are treasured community members and union siblings. Aunty Lynn has been held at the privately-run NW Detention Center since February, awaiting a hearing.

Maximo and his family have made trips to the Philippines before with no issue, according to Tanggol Migrante Network WA, a community organization supporting Filipino immigrants. The group believes he may have been detained due to a past record, however, the only convictions Max has are nonviolent, over two decades old, and resolved. Max is 42 years old, and has lived in the United States since he was a child.

Crystal Londonio speaks at a rally on Monday at Sea-Tac Airport. Photo: Bayan USA Washington via Facebook

At a rally and press conference Monday, Maximo’s family called for his release, describing a loving family man and dedicated union member. His wife of 20 years, Crystal Londonio, an American citizen, spoke to his character through tears.

“He is loving, he is not violent. He has set the standard for who a father should be for their children…I look up to him. And it’s because of him that I am standing in front of you all, because he gives me strength and purpose,” said Crystal.

“He has always been willing to go the extra mile for anyone who needed him,” she continued. “I just want someone to go the extra mile for him.”

Per reporting in the Seattle Times, Max was finally able to speak with his wife by phone last night, sharing that he has been told he will be transferred to NWDC, although he has no details about when that may happen.

Conditions at the for-profit detention facility are deadly, and due to a unique and draconian interpretation of the law currently being challenged by a lawsuit led by the Northwest Immigrants Rights Project, immigration judges in Tacoma refuse to grant bond to even permanent residents held at the facility, leaving people to longer on detention for months.

Labor and community continue to call for the shutdown of the detention center and the release of union Sister Lewelyn, detained farmworker organizer Brother Alfredo ‘Lelo’ Juarez Zeferino, Brother Maximo, and all those held at the notorious facility.