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Who is Yeonsoo Go? South Korean student at Purdue University detained by ICE after routine visa hearing
Yeonsoo Go, a South Korean student at Purdue University, was arrested by ICE after a visa hearing, prompting protests.
Yeonsoo Go, a South Korean student at Purdue University and the daughter of a well-liked Episcopal priest in New York, was arrested by ICE immediately after a routine visa hearing. On Saturday, the arrest sparked more demonstrations.
This comes after Yeonsoo Go confessed to her friend that she was anxious about a visa hearing last week due to the constant barrage of news reports about the Trump administration's harsh immigration enforcement tactics.
While leaving her hearing in Manhattan on Thursday with her mother, she discovered that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were waiting for her, confirming her worries.
Religious and local leaders turned out to show support for the families and supporters of those who were detained by ICE officials, and flowers were placed on the fence outside the Federal Plaza Immigration Court.
Who is Yeonsoo Go?
Yeonsoo Go, 20, is a graduate of Scarsdale High School in Westchester County and the daughter of adored Episcopal priest Kyrie Kim. The South Korean native and her mother relocated to New York in 2021.
Go filed an application to extend her existing visa, which was about to expire in December, according to a lawyer close to the matter.
‘She was heartbroken,’ says Go's boyfriend
According to Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security, Go “overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago” and “ICE arrested her on July 31 and placed her in expedited removal proceedings.”
“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,” McLaughlin told CNN.
Go was mandated to show up in court on Thursday for a procedural hearing about her petition for a visa renewal, as per her attorney.
ICE authorities were waiting to arrest Go when she exited the building, despite the judge giving her an October court date.
“She was with her mother. She was heartbroken. And when she called me at night, later that day, she was breaking down,” stated Go's boyfriend, Leo Chu.
