ICE Detains University of Minnesota Graduate Student

A graduate student at the University of Minnesota was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last Thursday at an off-campus location, prompting a wave of concern from university officials and public figures. 

The incident, confirmed by the university in a statement released Friday, is the latest in a series of recent detentions involving international students at US universities, raising questions about immigration enforcement practices on academic campuses. University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, Vice President for Student Affairs Calvin Phillips, and Vice President for Equity and Diversity Mercedes Ramírez Fernández have jointly expressed their concern, stating that the university had no prior knowledge of the detention and did not provide information to federal authorities. 

The university has declined to release specific details about the student's identity, nationality, or visa status. The Minnesota case follows the recent detentions of several other international students. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, was detained earlier this month on accusations of supporting Hamas. Khalil's lawyer disputes the allegations, and he remains in federal custody in Louisiana pending a US District Court decision on his legal challenge. 

In Massachusetts, Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish graduate student at Tufts University, was detained by ICE agents despite holding a valid student visa. Her deportation was temporarily halted by a court order. Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student at the University of Alabama, and Kseniia Petrova, a Russian medical researcher affiliated with Harvard University, have also been taken into custody by immigration agents under undisclosed circumstances, further fueling concerns about targeted enforcement.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have publicly addressed the detentions, seeking greater transparency regarding the treatment of international students. Governor Walz emphasizes the University of Minnesota's role as a global institution and the need for clarity on the visa status of international students. Mayor Frey stresses the importance of creating safe and supportive educational environments for students from all backgrounds. Judicial decisions and further investigations into these cases are pending.