“This has nothing to do with student protests,” Homeland Security authorities said.
Federal immigration officials have detained at least two university students in Minnesota, and the Department of Homeland Security made clear Monday that one of the incidents was linked to driving under the influence (DUI) charges.
“This has nothing to do with student protests,” Tricia McLaughlin, deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement. “The individual in question was arrested after the expiration of a visa by the state related to a previous criminal history of the DUI.”
University of Minnesota graduate student was detained by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) from her off-campus residence on Thursday, according to university spokesman Andria Waclawski. The detention initially had no official explanation, prompting demonstrations.
Students enrolled in Minneapolis Campus’ business schools are demanding privacy, according to Waclawski, who said the university provides legal aid and other support.
In another case, Minnesota State University Mankato President Edward Inch said one of the students was detained on ice from an off-campus residence on Friday.
“We were not given a reason. The university has not received information from ICE. They are not requesting information from us,” Inch wrote in a letter to the campus community. “I contacted elected officials to share my concerns and sought their help in stopping this activity within the learner’s community.”
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“We haven’t received any relevant information from Homeland Security yet about the recent news that Minnesota students are being held on ice. Taking away students legally coming here to work hard and get an education is not a pain for immigrants,” Walz wrote.
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) described the situation in the statement as “a deep pattern of ICE detaining students with little explanation and ignoring their rights to legitimate processes.”
She vowed that she “continues to push the administration to answer these arrests and works to get answers from federal immigration authorities.”
“The United States has zero tolerance for foreign visitors supporting terrorists. Violators of US law, including international students, could face visa denial or cancellation,” a spokesman told NTD News in an email statement at the time.
Neither university has disclosed the names or nationalities of the detained students. ICE did not immediately respond to requests by NTD News for additional information regarding the Mankato incident.
On March 19, a federal judge blocked the deportation of Columbia University alumni and protest leader Mahmoud Khalil, engaged in activities alongside Hamas terrorist groups, spread Hamas propaganda, promoted anti-Semitism on social media, and has close ties with unnamed Hamas advisors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
