Purdue University student freed from ICE detention after outcry from faith leaders

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A Purdue University student from South Korea has been freed from federal detention, tearfully reuniting with her family and religious community in Manhattan following days of outcry from faith leaders in New York and abroad.

Yeonsoo Go, 20, was taken into custody on Thursday during a routine immigration hearing in Manhattan, according to her attorneys and family. She was then transferred to a federal detention facility in Monroe, Louisiana, where she was held for three nights before being released without bail on Monday.

Mary Rothwell Davis, an attorney for the Episcopal Diocese of New York, where Go’s mother works as a priest, said the family had not received an explanation for the arrest or abrupt reversal.

“We don’t know why it happened, but we’re very happy that it did,” Davis said. “We were moving heaven and earth to make it known that we thought this was a mistake.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said Go had been placed in expedited removal proceedings for overstaying an expired visa. The agency did not respond to questions about what prompted Go's release.

“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," agency spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

But Davis disputed the contention that Go was here illegally. She said Go has maintained a valid visa since arriving in the U.S. in 2021, along with her mother, Rev. Kyrie Kim, who leads a Korean congregation in the New York area.

A graduate of Scarsdale High School in the suburbs of New York City, Go studies at Purdue's College of Pharmacy and remains active in the Episcopalian church, according to Davis.

In recent days, clergy members, including Bishop Matthew Heyd, as well as the church leaders in Korea, have called on the Trump administration to release Go, insisting that her arrest was a mistake.

“Whether it was our outcry or some other factor that persuaded DHS to send her home, we don’t know, but we’re so grateful,” Davis said, adding that Go’s experience in detention was “unbelievably traumatic.”

New York State Assemblymember Amy Paulin, a Democrat, said she had spoken by phone with Go, who she described as “relieved” to be home.

“She is home, she is safe, and she is so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from this incredible community,” Paulin said.