Federal immigration authorities have detained at least two university students in Minnesota, with the Department of Homeland Security clarifying on Monday that one of the incidents was related to a driving under the influence (DUI) charge.
“This is not related to student protests,” Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. “The individual in question was arrested after a visa revocation by the State Dept. related to a prior criminal history for a DUI.”
According to university spokesperson Andria Waclawski, a University of Minnesota graduate student was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Thursday from an off-campus residence. The detention initially lacked official explanation, prompting demonstrations.
The student, enrolled in the business school on the Minneapolis campus, has requested privacy, according to Waclawski, who said that the university was providing legal aid and other support.
In a separate case, Minnesota State University Mankato President Edward Inch said that one of their students was also detained by ICE on Friday from an off-campus residence.
“No reason was given. The University has received no information from ICE, and they have not requested any information from us,” Inch wrote in a letter to the campus community. “I have contacted our elected officials to share my concerns and ask for their help in stopping this activity within our community of learners.”
“We have yet to receive adequate information from Homeland Security about the recent news of Minnesota students being detained by ICE ... Snatching up students who come here legally to work hard and get an education does not make you tough on immigration,” Walz wrote.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) described the situation in a statement as “a deeply concerning pattern, where ICE detains students with little to no explanation... and ignores their rights to due process.”
She pledged to “keep pressing the administration for answers about these arrests and work to get answers from federal immigration authorities.”
“The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors who support terrorists. Violators of U.S. law, including international students, may face visa denial or revocation,” a spokesperson told NTD News in an emailed statement at the time.
Neither university has disclosed the names or nationalities of the detained students. ICE did not immediately respond to a request by NTD News for additional information regarding the Mankato case.
On March 19 a federal judge blocked the deportation of Columbia University graduate and protest leader Mahmoud Khalil for allegedly engaging in activities that align with the Hamas terrorist group, spreading Hamas propaganda, promoting anti-Semitism on social media, and having a close connection to an unnamed Hamas adviser.
