By Wendy Post —
OWEGO, N.Y. — What happened to Roger is the question that weighs on the minds of the members of the community who have grown to know and love him for several decades. Roger Huang, age 50, has been a member of the Owego, New York, community, a husband, father, and owner of Kam Fung Chinese Restaurant, located on West Main Street in Owego, for about 25 years.
Roger Huang, also known as Kong Xiong Wang, as documented, was en route to a scheduled appointment on June 16, 2025 regarding his green card application process, but was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers upon his arrival. Now in ICE custody and detained in Batavia, N.Y., the fate of the restaurant and Roger is unknown.
In an email from Marie Ferguson, spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday, July 16, she wrote, “Kong Xiong Wang, an illegal alien from China, entered the United States with a fraudulent document at Miami International Airport in 1993.”
She continued, “He was issued a notice to appear before an immigration judge and failed to show up for his court hearing. A judge issued him a final order in 1994, and the appeal was denied in 1995.
“He has exhausted all due process and has no legal remedies left to pursue. After failing to self-deport and leave the U.S. for three decades, ICE arrested him on June 16, 2025.”
The ICE spokesperson noted that individuals can search for aliens in ICE custody in the Online Detainee Locator: https://locator.ice.gov/odls/#/search.
Regarding his deportation, Ferguson wrote, “The United States is offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now,” and added, “We encourage every person here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the chance to come back to the U.S. the right legal way to live the American dream. If not, you will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.”
Alternatively, many in the Owego community have known the family for years, with residents creating images and signs showing support for Roger, asking that he be brought home and returned to the kitchen at Kam Fung, where he could be found cooking in the kitchen, his wife serving customers, and his daughters greeting guests when they were younger and in school.
As of this writing, emotions remain high at Kam Fung. Roger’s wife was receptive to talking but merely asked that the family have some privacy during this time and that they were waiting on the lawyer.
“The information needs to come from the lawyer,” said Roger’s wife, who appeared tired and emotionally exhausted.
She did note, however, that they were receiving a lot of help from the community, including assistance from Adam Weitsman, owner and chief executive officer of Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling, with the scrap yard operation located across the plaza that Weitsman developed and later sold, and where Kam Fung is located.
Weitsman met Huang years ago in Johnson City, N.Y. and eventually invited him to rent the space. Weitsman also hired one of Haung’s daughters to work in his accounting office.
We spoke to Weitsman on Monday to talk about his relationship with Huang, with Weitsman stating, “Roger has been a friend for 25 years.”
Because of this relationship, Weitsman has contributed to Haung’s defense fund, hoping that it will help.
“We have to give him every chance,” said Weitsman, adding, “Roger is one of the best; he’s such a good person.”
A sentiment echoed by many in the community. On a Village of Owego page on Facebook, residents prayed for his return and were left with many questions regarding the length of his detainment, where he is being detained, and why, along with a mix of political banter surrounding immigration policies and ICE.
Images like this one, created by the community, have been circulating on social media, petitioning for Roger’s return to Owego, New York.
Residents also set up a GoFundMe to assist at https://gofund.me/6cb8016d. At the time of this reporting, the community had donated more than $12,000 to his legal defense and to help offset the loss of business costs.
On June 16, President Donald Trump’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants caught up with Huang. Now, he is in a detention center in Batavia, New York.
In the meantime, Kam Fung remains open, and Roger’s fate is unknown as the family waits.
We were not able to make a connection with Huang’s attorney at the time of this reporting.
If a solution is to be found,
it will have to be more from politicians rather than lawyers.
If enough of the right politicians are together on something,
they can do whatever they want.
The basis for keeping him with us,
is that he is a great guy and that Owego, Tioga, New York and the USA
are all better off with him than without him.