U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained a South Korean student Yeonsoo Go, following a routine visa hearing at Federal Plaza Immigration Court in New York. The 20-year-old, who studies at Purdue University, has been in the country since March 2021.
She appeared for a routine visa hearing where the New York Immigration Court granted her a return date in October. But just moments after stepping out of the courtroom, ICE agents detained her. Initially held at a nearby federal facility, she was later transferred to a detention center in Louisiana, as has become common in recent ICE cases as per CNN.
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Go is the daughter of Reverend Kyrie Kim, recognized as the first woman to be ordained in the Seoul Diocese of the Anglican Church of Korea. Her family says she arrived legally in the United States in March 2021 on an R-2 dependent visa, accompanying her mother, who moved for religious service under an R-1 visa. They add that her stay was lawfully extended in 2023 and is valid until the end of 2025. Despite this, immigration authorities appear to have taken a different view of her status, treating her continued presence as a violation.
The Episcopal Diocese of New York, along with multiple advocacy organizations, has called for Go’s prompt release, asserting that she was in the U.S. lawfully and that immigration officials mishandled the situation. “She has followed every legal procedure, appeared in court as required, and now finds herself behind bars — this is unacceptable,” said an Episcopal Diocese spokesperson, as per Mint.
However, in a statement to CNN, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin explained that Go was taken into custody and placed under expedited removal procedures due to overstaying a visa “that expired more than two years ago.” “The fact of the matter is those who are in our country illegally have a choice—they can leave the country voluntarily or be arrested and deported,” McLaughlin said.
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The detention of the South Korean student sparked a wave of protest over the weekend, as nearly 75 faith leaders and community advocates gathered outside 26 Federal Plaza on Saturday morning, calling for her release. As reported by CNN, the demonstrators prayed together, sang hymns, and carried signs with her photo, urging compassion and justice. Friends of the 20-year-old spoke out during the protest, sharing how deeply she had impacted those around her with her positive attitude.
This incident unfolds against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s pledge to carry out what he calls the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. ICE operations have intensified dramatically across the United States, with a surge in detentions. In just the first five months of Trump’s second term, ICE has made more than 109,000 arrests, most of them in border and Southern states, according to data reviewed by CBS News. That’s more than double the number of arrests made during the same period in 2024 under Biden, which stood a little over 49,000. The sharp rise, about 120%, is a reflection of how aggressively the administration is pushing its immigration crackdown this time around.