A Castle Rock business owner spent a month in federal immigration detention over two marijuana possession charges from 2001. The substance has been legal in Colorado for 13 years.
Dale Heath, 42, was detained August 4, 2025, at Denver International Airport during what should have been a routine immigration paperwork renewal. The green card holder since age eight walked into the airport that morning and didn’t come home until early September, after an immigration judge intervened.
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From England to Colorado: 34 Years as a Lawful Resident
Heath arrived in the United States from England in 1991 at age eight. He held lawful permanent resident status for more than three decades, moving through Texas, Florida, and New Jersey before settling in Castle Rock with his wife Kelli.
The charges that triggered his detention happened in Texas in 2001. Heath was arrested twice for marijuana possession, both times for amounts under two ounces. He was 17 during the first arrest, 18 during the second. Court records show he pleaded no contest to both charges and completed probation with brief confinement.
Heath had no arrests in the 24 years since. He and Kelli run Castle Rock Carpet Care. He coached youth soccer and volunteered at his children’s schools. Background checks for these activities came back clean multiple times.
Houston Airport Stop Changed Everything
The situation shifted in May 2022. Heath and Kelli were returning from a Costa Rica trip celebrating their 10-year anniversary. Their flight routed through Houston’s Hobby Airport.
Customs and Border Protection officers pulled Heath aside for questioning that lasted over four hours, according to Department of Homeland Security records reviewed by 9NEWS. During a sworn statement, Heath confirmed the 2001 marijuana arrests.
CBP officers confiscated his green card. He received temporary documentation instead and was placed in removal proceedings. From May 2022 forward, Heath reported to Denver International Airport annually to renew his temporary status while awaiting an immigration court date.
“Changes Under the New Administration”
Heath left his Castle Rock home around 8 a.m. on August 4, 2025. He had renewed his paperwork this way three times before without incident.
“It was like he was going to the grocery store,” Kelli told 9NEWS. “He honestly didn’t even give us a hug or kiss goodbye.”
Hours passed. Heath texted his wife that the appointment was taking longer than usual. New staff were working the counter. The officer he normally dealt with wasn’t there. Then his texts stopped.
When Heath finally called, he was at the Aurora ICE detention facility. Officials told him they couldn’t renew his documentation. “Because there are changes under the new administration, they weren’t able to renew it this time around,” Kelli said officers explained to her husband.
A CBP spokesperson provided a different account. In a statement to CBS Colorado, the agency said Heath “attempted to flee after being served a Notice to Appear for immigration court.” The agency added: “A green card is a privilege, not a right, and under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused.”
The Heath family disputes the claim that Dale tried to flee.
One Month Behind Glass
Heath lost 12 pounds in his first four days at the Aurora detention center, Kelli reported. He was housed with people charged with domestic violence and homicide. Visits happened through glass partitions with phone communication only.
“Emotionally, he’s a wreck. Physically, he’s a wreck,” Kelli told CBS Colorado during the third week of detention.
Their son Oliver, nine, cried three times at school the day of his father’s first hearing. Daughter Zooey, 12, started middle school without her dad there. Heath missed his 42nd birthday in custody.
The family temporarily closed Castle Rock Carpet Care. Kelli managed their two children and business alone while trying to understand what legal options remained.
“I never thought that I would have to try to be a single mom,” she told Newsweek.
Immigration attorneys who spoke to 9NEWS noted that while lawful permanent residents in removal proceedings can be detained under federal law, previous administrations rarely held people considered low flight risks with no threat to public safety.
Judge Grants Cancellation of Removal
Dale Heath’s final immigration hearing was scheduled for September 3, 2025. The judge granted cancellation of removal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement chose not to appeal.
Kelli picked up her husband from the Aurora ICE facility at 10 a.m. on a Friday in early September. They drove straight to the children’s schools to surprise Oliver and Zooey.
Cancellation of removal is a form of relief that allows certain green card holders to avoid deportation. Eligibility requires seven years of continuous residence after admission and five years as a lawful permanent resident, among other factors. Immigration judges grant it on a case-by-case basis.
When State Law Meets Federal Immigration Enforcement
Colorado voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2012. The state permits adults to possess up to two ounces. Marijuana sales have generated over $3 billion in tax revenue for Colorado since legalization.
Federal immigration law operates differently. Marijuana remains a Schedule I controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act makes non-citizens deportable if convicted of violating any law related to controlled substances.
This federal classification applies regardless of state legalization. Green card holders with marijuana convictions, even decades old, can face mandatory detention and removal proceedings when renewing immigration documentation or re-entering the country.
The dale heath ice detention colorado case illustrates how lawful permanent residents remain vulnerable to deportation over conduct that would be legal today in their home state.
Back in Castle Rock
Dale Heath is home with his family in Castle Rock. Castle Rock Carpet Care has reopened. Oliver returned to soccer with his dad coaching again. Zooey has her father for the school year she started without him.
The month in detention left marks that glass partitions and phone calls couldn’t bridge. But on that Friday morning in September, when Dale walked out of the Aurora facility and surprised his kids at school, the family was whole again.
For now, that’s what matters most to the Heaths.
