Ice Releases Purdue Student Who Was Abruptly Detained At Her Visa Hearing

A Purdue University student and girl of a salient New York leader who was detained during a visa proceeding past week has been released.

Yeonsoo Go, 20, reunited pinch her family Monday nighttime successful downtown Manhattan. It comes aft Go, who was handcuffed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents upon leaving her visa hearing, spent respective days successful a installation successful Louisiana, according to nan ICE database.

Go came to nan U.S. successful 2021 connected a belief limited visa for children aliases spouses of belief workers temporarily successful nan country, Marissa Joseph, Go’s attorney, told NBC News. Go, whose visa had been extended until December, was attempting to renew nan visa because her mother had changed employers. It isn’t clear why nan student was targeted for detention, Joseph said.

“I’m conscionable truthful grateful for nan support that I’ve had,” Go told nan crowd of supporters aft she hugged her family.

ICE did not instantly respond to NBC News’ petition to remark connected nan reasons down Go’s detention. And nan Department of Homeland Security did not supply nan family a logic for Go’s release, Joseph said. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin antecedently described Go successful a connection arsenic an “illegal alien” who had overstayed her visa that expired much than 2 years ago.

Yeonsoo Go aft being released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement connected Monday successful New York City.Andres Kudacki / Getty Images

Go, who lives successful Scarsdale, New York, pinch her mother, Kyrie Kim, came to nan U.S. for Kim’s work. Kim, who became nan first female ordained successful nan Seoul Diocese of nan Anglican Church of Korea, had been invited to create nan Episcopal church’s relationship to Asian communities, said Mary Rothwell Davis, an lawyer for nan Episcopal Diocese of New York, wherever Go’s mother is simply a reverend.

“It was an inaugural to statesman a caller ministry, reaching retired to Asian clergy, Asian families, and … to thief fortify and turn that facet of our Episcopal and Anglican community,” Davis said, conscionable hours earlier Go’s release. “Rev. Kim is nan personification who was chosen to do that.”

Go, a rising sophomore astatine Purdue, had a smooth, uneventful visa hearing, Davis said, and was fixed a day to return to court.

“Everything seemed to spell perfectly well,” Davis said. “So she had nary thought this was coming. None.”

Davis said she has seen nan visa herself and was unsure why McLaughlin had claimed Go overstayed her visa.

“We person nary thought why they are alleging this, because we person a portion of insubstantial that says she has a visa till December 2025,” Davis said. “This is what deficiency of owed process does. We person grounds connected our side. They’re making allegations. We are not being fixed nan opportunity to benignant it out.”

Go’s detention drew monolithic backlash crossed religion and section New York communities. Over nan weekend, friends, loved ones and much gathered successful downtown Manhattan to rally astir nan student. Davis said that arsenic Go was being transferred to Louisiana from nan installation successful New York, she caught a glimpse of nan supporters.

“She was leaving nan building by bus, and she saw nan Episcopal Diocese rally that was taking spot successful beforehand of nan courthouse,” Davis, who’s been successful changeless connection pinch nan family, said. “It was very bittersweet.”

New York Assemblymember Amy Paulin, who said to Go connected nan nighttime of her release, said successful a statement that she is “overjoyed” that truthful galore individuals said retired for Go.

“The pain, fear, and uncertainty she and her family endured complete nan past 5 days should ne'er person happened,” Paulin said successful nan statement. “But coming we observe her state and nan spot of a organization that refused to enactment silent.”

Kim told reporters that though she’s relieved that her girl is backmost home, it’s besides captious to retrieve that galore others proceed to contend pinch circumstances akin to Go’s detention.

“There’s much who request nan support,” Kim said.