NEW YORK — Tensions flared outside the Federal Plaza Immigration Court on Saturday as faith leaders, community members, and immigrant advocates rallied against what they called an unjust and alarming trend in immigration enforcement in visa-related matters.
The protests came in response to the recent detention of 20-year-old Yeonsoo Go, a South Korean national and graduate of Scarsdale High School, who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents just minutes after attending a routine visa hearing.
A Sudden Arrest After a Routine Visa Appearance
Go, the daughter of Episcopal priest Kyrie Kim, had reportedly attended a procedural hearing on Thursday to discuss her visa renewal application. According to her attorney, the judge had scheduled a follow-up date in October. But as Go exited the courthouse with her mother, ICE agents were waiting to detain her.
“She was with her mother. She was heartbroken. And when she called me at night, later that day, she was breaking down,” said Leo Chu, Go’s boyfriend.
Go’s friend, Gabriella Lopez, said she had expressed concerns before the hearing. “She has been a little nervous given the climate. Now, her fears have come true,” Lopez said.
Dispute Over Visa Status
While Go’s legal team insists she had a valid application for extension pending, the Department of Homeland Security offered a different account.
Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary at DHS, stated that Go “overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago” and was “arrested on July 31 and placed in expedited removal proceedings.”
Go moved to New York with her mother in 2021 and had been living in Westchester County.
Living Conditions Raise Humanitarian Concerns
Go is currently being held at 26 Federal Plaza, a facility that advocates claim is not equipped for humane detention.
“Her mother gets regular calls from Yeonsoo and she’s staying at 26 Federal Plaza, which, as we know, is not actually a facility that has showers or beds or hot food. And so the detentions here are not only illegal, but they’re immoral,” said Rev. Matthew Heyd of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.
Advocacy Groups Call for Action
The New York Immigration Coalition is urging individuals with upcoming immigration court hearings to be proactive and prepared.
“I think it’s critically important that anyone who needs to go to an immigration court hearing call the New York State Office of New Americans and their hotline,” said Coalition President and CEO Murad Awawdeh.
Advocates are also encouraging immigrants to create family preparedness plans and explore the possibility of virtual hearings when working with an attorney.
