The parents of a 20-year-old Westchester high school grad said that their daughter was detained by agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a routine visa hearing.
The incident sparked protests on Saturday, where people left flowers on the fence outside the Federal Plaza Immigration Court. The demonstrations involved religious and city leaders, who were in support of the loved ones of individuals who were detained by ICE agents amid the government's ongoing crackdown.
High School Grad Detained by ICE
The latest detainee is 20-year-old Yeonsoo Go, whose parent is beloved Episcopal priest Kyrie Kim. Yeonsoo Go is a graduate of Scarsdale High School in Westchester County and is a South Korean native who moved to New York in 2021 with her mother.
A lawyer who is close to the family of the detained individual said that Go had an application to extend her current visa, which will expire in December. Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, Tricia McLaughlin, claims that Go "overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago," according to ABC7NY.
McLaughlin added that ICE agents arrested the 20-year-old on July 31 and have placed her in expedited removal proceedings. Go's lawyer noted that their client was ordered to appear in court on Thursday for a procedural hearing on her visa renewal application.
The judge handling the case gave Go a date to return to court in October, but when she left the building, ICE agents were there waiting to arrest her. Her boyfriend, Leo Chu, said that at the time, she was with her mother, who was heartbroken about the development.
Trump Administration's Immigration Crackdown
Before the hearing, Go spoke to her boyfriend and friends, with one, Gabriella Lopez, saying the detained individual was a "little nervous" given the current situation in the United States. Now, it seems like her fears have come true, MSN reported.
Rev. Matthew Heyd of the Episcopal Diocese of New York said that Go's mother gets regular calls from her daughter amid her detention. He added that the 20-year-old was staying at 26 Federal Plaza, which is not actually a facility equipped with showers or beds. He called the detentions there illegal and immoral.
The detention of Go comes as President Donald Trump's administration is expanding its efforts to gain control over "sanctuary cities" such as New York. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit in July against the city over measures that were "designed to impede the Federal Government's ability to enforce the federal immigration laws," as per the Hindustan Times.
