Editor’s Note
This article has been updated to include West Lafayette Rep. Chris Campbell’s recent statement and the specific center Go was flown to.
Purdue sophomore Yeonsoo Go was reportedly detained by federal ICE agents last Thursday.
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CNN that Go’s visa expired two years ago.
However, the South Korean student’s visa was set to expire Dec. 2025, according to Go’s family lawyer.
Majoring in pharmaceutical sciences, Go was detained last Thursday after leaving a hearing at New York courthouse about renewing her visa and has since been flown to Richwood Correctional Center, a detention center in Louisiana.
Both the Episcopal Diocese of New York and the Anglican Church of Korea are calling for her release.
A photo of Purdue sophomore Yeonsoo Go.
Photo provided by LinkedIn
“We urge the prompt release of Ms. Go and call for a fair and transparent review of her immigration status in a manner that upholds human dignity and the values our nations share,” the Rev. Dongshin Park, Primate of the Anglican Church of Korea, said in a statement to CNN.
Purdue has released a broader press release concerning Go.
“There have been media reports of a visa situation involving one of our students. The dean of students’ office has reached out to the student’s family,” Purdue said in the release.
Additionally, West Lafayette Rep. Chris Campbell released the following statement Monday:
“This is absolutely horrifying. Yeonsoo Go is a young woman who came to the U.S. on a legal, religious worker’s dependent visa … Arresting people outside of the courthouse proves that this isn’t about legal immigration. It’s even more concerning that her parents found out about her transfer to Louisiana from online records. It’s cruel … (Go) doesn’t have a criminal record, and she’s an active part of her community. We are lucky she’s pursuing her education at Purdue University.
“I urge for the release of Yeonsoo Go, and a proper review of her immigration status. Treat people with dignity regardless of their status.”
More information to come.
Additional reporting by Quint Holguin, Avery Goldthorpe and Conrad Hooser
Every Exponent article goes through checks for accuracy before publication. If you have a concern or questions about this article, please email editor@purdueexponent.org.