Assim Alkhawaja, a 53-year-old Middle Eastern immigrant who moved to Oceanside about two years ago to pursue graduate studies in human rights, was detained by ICE while dropping off passengers at a Camp Pendleton gate. He holds work authorization valid until 2030 amid a pending asylum case and has no criminal history. His sister Arwa, a U.S. citizen, said he provided his driver's license and work permit at the gate before being told to pull over and detained, then transported to Otay Mesa Detention Center, where he spent about eight days. An immigration judge found he posed no danger to the community and was not a flight risk, ordering his release on $10,000 bond; he now wears a GPS monitor while his case continues. Before his detention, Alkhawaja had sold his businesses in the Middle East to open Sands Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop nearly ready to open. Attorneys say he is among dozens of rideshare and delivery drivers for companies including Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, GrubHub and Roadie detained at the base's gates under a pilot program launched in 2025 in which military police call ICE on non-citizen drivers.