A young woman at the center of an immigration controversy in New York City was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody on Monday.
Yeonsoo Go’s detention last week sparked outrage and rallies across the five boroughs.
Yeonsoo Go released from ICE custody
Go, known as Soo to her friends and family, was all smiles as she walked out of the ICE detention facility in Lower Manhattan.
“I always had faith that [I’d] be out soon,” Go said. “I wish for everyone to be safe, everyone that supports me to be safe, and have hopes to be told and heard.”
The 20-year-old was detained on Thursday after a routine immigration hearing in Lower Manhattan. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday night that Go had “overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago.”
Ashley Gonzalez-Grissom, a lawyer with the Episcopal Diocese of New York, refuted that, saying Go’s visa was valid through December 2025.
“We are so grateful that after five long days Soo gets to sleep at home in bed and gets to hug her mother. We were all so worried about her,” Gonzalez-Grissom said.
DHS did not say why Go was released.
What to know about Yeonsoo Go
Go came to New York from South Korea in 2021 with her mother, who is an episcopal priest. She graduated from Scarsdale High School in Westchester County and was set to return to Purdue University when she was detained. The Episcopal Diocese of New York stood by her and fought for her release.
Over the weekend, supporters rallied for for Go, with her friends calling her religious, caring, and smart.
“We used to do midnight runs together and make sandwiches and meals for the homeless,” a friend named Caitlin said. “She’s a college student, a daughter, a friend. She belongs here, not in a detention center.”
Gonzalez-Grissom said there are questions that need to be answered, but for now she’s just happy Go was able to go home.
“No one, regardless of their status, should have to experience what she experienced. We are grateful to God that Soo was returned home to her family,” Gonzalez-Grissom said.
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