Yeonsoo Go, a 20-year-old Korean-American college student living in New York, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after a routine visa hearing

On July 31st, Yeonsoo Go, a 20-year-old Korean-American college student living in New York, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after a routine visa hearing. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that Go had been placed in expedited deportation proceedings for overstaying her visa. Two days later, immigrant advocates and several religious leaders protested, calling for her release.

Go graduated from Scarsdale High School in Westchester County and completed her freshman year of pharmacy at Purdue University this summer. Her mother, Kyrie Kim, an Episcopal priest, immigrated to the United States from Seoul about four years ago on religious visas.

According to ABC, Go’s lawyer revealed that at the time of her arrest, she was applying to extend her visa, which was due to expire in December. She appeared in court on July 31st as required for the renewal process, and the judge set the next court date for October. However, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin claimed that Gao’s visa expired more than two years ago, constituting an overstay, and that she had been placed in the “expedited removal process.”

At the protest, a friend of Gao revealed that Gao had been anxious the night before her hearing due to the Trump administration’s recent frequent arrests of undocumented immigrants outside courthouses. The friend also stated that Gao is currently being held in an immigration detention facility on the 10th floor of the building, where she is rarely allowed to wear glasses or change her clothes.

Also arrested on the same day as Gao was Ketty, a 59-year-old Peruvian woman. Ketty crossed the border into the United States alone three years ago and applied for asylum in New York. She was originally scheduled to appear in court in October, but received a call last week informing her that the hearing would be moved forward to July 31st. She was subsequently arrested after her hearing.

Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), noted that similar incidents are becoming increasingly frequent and recommended that immigrants with upcoming court appearances call the NYS Office of New Americans hotline to develop a family contingency plan. The hotline provides legal information and multilingual services, and all information is confidential. The hotline number is (800) 566-7636. He also reminded that if possible, they should work with an attorney to request a virtual hearing to minimize risks.