Purdue Student Released After ICE Detention in New York

Yeonsoo Go, known to friends as Soo, was taken into custody Thursday after a visa hearing in Manhattan.

Faith leaders and activists gather outside the Jacob K. — Source: Pacific Press / Getty

NEW YORK — A Purdue University student is out of federal custody after being detained last week by immigration agents in New York.

Yeonsoo Go, known to friends as Soo, was taken into custody Thursday after a visa hearing in Manhattan. The 20-year-old came to the U.S. from South Korea in 2021 with her mother, an Episcopal priest, and was preparing to return to West Lafayette for the new school year.

The Department of Homeland Security says Go overstayed her visa. Her attorney disagrees and says her visa is valid through December 2025.

Church leaders in New York and Go’s supporters questioned the decision to detain her. Over the weekend, they pushed for her release and raised concerns about how the case was handled.

Go was held for five days before being released Monday. Homeland Security has not explained why.

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