UMN graduate student Dogukan Gunaydin released from ICE detention
The Brief
A University of Minnesota student detained by ICE for nearly two months has been freed after a court decision.
Dogukan Gunaydin, a Turkey national, was detained over a 2023 DUI arrest.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled that arrest alone wasn't a deportable offense.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota graduate student arrested by ICE back in March over a 2023 drunk driving case has been freed from ICE detention after a court ruling.
What we know
Dogukan Gunaydin, a Turkish national, was released from ICE detention Thursday afternoon after nearly two months of detainment.
Gunaydin spoke with reporters upon his release, saying, "I am relieved to be released, but I am deeply troubled and harmed by this clear violation of my constitutional right for due process. It took 56 days to undo something that should not have happened in the first place."
He continued with a message to other international students, "I want all international students to know this: while there might be some who want to scare us by abusing the power of their office, there are many more who welcome us and fight alongside us to defend our rights."
"My only hope is that no one, including those that did this to me, suffer such injustice. this country deserves much better. Let's not forget, it's not liberty and justice for some, but it is for all," Gunaydin finished.
The backstory
Earlier this month, an immigration judge ruled Gunaydin couldn't be deported solely because of the drunk driving arrest, saying the crime didn't reach the level of a deportable offense.
The Department of Homeland Security moved to appeal the decision, keeping Gunaydin in custody while the appeal process played out.
Dig deeper
Gunaydin was arrested in Minneapolis back in June 2023 for drunk driving. A criminal complaint states Gunaydin was driving with a blood-alcohol level more than twice the legal limit (0.17).
He ultimately pleaded guilty to a DUI charge. After his ICE arrest in March 2025, his attorneys said that Gunaydin had stayed out of legal trouble outside the 2023 arrest and had maintained his course load as a graduate student at the U of M's Carlson School. They argued that the arrest alone wasn't enough to terminate his F-1 student status.
Big picture view
In the days after Gunaydin's arrest became public, FOX 9 learned of other international students who were facing removal by DHS.
At Minnesota State University Mankato, at least a dozen students had their visa status terminated by DHS, including Mohammed Hoque, a 20-year-old student from Bangladesh. His attorneys also fought his detainment, arguing Hoque had been targeted over his support for Palestine.
A judge also ultimately sided with Hoque's attorneys, ruling "the record contains sufficiently clear evidence of viewpoint-based targeting for [Hoque's] exercise of protected speech on a matter of public concern."
Hoque was released from ICE custody earlier this month after 40 days in detainment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Two immigrants came here legally. They were detained anyway, sparking Spokane's mass ICE protest
Jun. 13—It took almost no time for two immigrants to become part of Shelly O'Quinn's family. She was on the cusp of becoming one of their "sponsors" to guide them in the United States as part of the U.S.' asylum program. By all accounts, everything was going right. The two would spend their days working at the Airway Heights Walmart, check in with immigration and make it to every court hearing. It all changed on Wednesday when they received a notice to check in with immigration. But instead of a check-in, the two were picked up by federal authorities. "They are such good young men," O'Quinn said. "They did all of it legally. And they have such a heartbreaking story." O'Quinn, a former Republican Spokane County commissioner, met 21-year-old Cesar Alexander Alvarez Perez and 28-year-old Joswar Slater Rodriguez Torres last year at a church event after they escaped persecution in Venezuela. The two refugees met in Colombia and began the trek to Mexico, but their journey was largely traumatic, O'Quinn said — they were sleeping on roads, were robbed at gunpoint and threatened with machetes. "They got jobs in Mexico. They went to the border every day and applied to get into the U.S.," O'Quinn said. "They finally were accepted and came here legally, in the humanitarian parole program." They both qualified for asylum and were following the legal court process, O'Quinn said. Alvarez Perez qualified for the juvenile asylum process because he came to the U.S. younger than 21. They even had a court hearing scheduled for October, and it left O'Quinn optimistic about where things were headed. In Minneapolis on a work trip, she was stunned when she got the call that chaos had broke out on the streets of Spokane because the men were detained by ICE. Alvarez Perez's sponsor, former city council president Ben Stuckart, had taken the two to their check-in when authorities detained them instead. Stuckart posted a call to action on Facebook, which led residents to swarm the ICE office off West Cataldo Avenue in North Spokane. The protest erupted throughout the evening, with a group of people attempting to stop unmarked law enforcement vehicles from leaving. Federal agents pushed back, sending some protesters' belongings falling to the ground. Others crowded a bus to prevent it from leaving and were ultimately arrested for obstruction and failure to disperse, one of them being Stuckart. While more faced off with police and deputies, law enforcement began throwing canisters of smoke and pepper balls to disperse the crowd. Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown then issued a 9:30 p.m. curfew, calling the decision "the best path forward" for everyone to stay safe. Stuckart eventually posted bail, but he has yet to hear from Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres, he said. O'Quinn, fearing the worst, flew to Seattle on Thursday and plans to attempt a visit with the two transported to Tacoma's immigration detention center. "If I can't see them, the next step is figuring out how I can ... Imagine if your kids were in a detention center with no contacts. It's a scary place," O'Quinn said. "I just imagine the fear they are feeling, and I want them to know someone cares for them." The legal way, no longer Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres came to the United States through a legal program known as the Venezuelan Humanitarian Parole Program, or the "CHNV" program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans. It allows for immigrants facing persecution to legally live and work in the U.S. "under parole." President Donald Trump attempted to terminate the program earlier this year, but a Massachusetts judge issued an injunction to pause the action. On May 30, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the injunction, giving Trump free reign to end the parole program and continue mass immigrant deportations, something he has vowed to do since the start of his presidency. The crackdown on immigration has led ICE to detain people all across the country. On Thursday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a notice to the thousands of immigrants taking part in the program that their legal status has since been terminated, according to reporting from CNN. "This notice informs you that your parole is now terminated. If you do not leave, you may be subject to enforcement actions, including but not limited to detention and removal, without an opportunity to make personal arrangements and return to your country in an orderly manner," the notice says. It's unclear whether Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres received a parole termination notice, O'Quinn said. Either way, she expected it wouldn't affect them because they had another pathway into the U.S. by asylum — but now, even their asylum status is murky. Alvarez-Perez also celebrated his birthday just this week, consequently aging him out of the juvenile asylum program he was part of. "We are a county that allows for due process. I believe they should have the right to due process. They did what they were supposed to do," O'Quinn said. "We are not a country that should be picking up people are who legally here without due process. It's a violation of our rights in the United States." The Supreme Court decision allowing for deportation of those on humanitarian parole is "brutal on its face," according to Spokane civil rights attorney Jeffry Finer. Normally, an injunction would give time for litigation while also preventing undue harm where there is no reasonable remedy, he said, like tearing down a historical building. "There's no way to bring back the building. You can't fix it or reverse it," Finer said. "So if it's going to have irreparable damages, an injunction is the way to litigate the merit and keep the status quo so nobody is harmed if the lawsuit is successful." The dissenting Supreme Court opinion states the court botched the way it protects people during ongoing litigation. Finer said his interpretation of it shows "the risk to the government is small" but "the risk to immigrants is huge" — because once they're deported, there likely won't be a push to bring them back. And there's no telling if the two will be deported, because the jail is "a black hole" of information, Stuckart said. Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres were so desperate to flee, they walked for weeks to find freedom from persecution and remained here with no criminal record, Stuckart added, which tells him no one is exempt from deportations. Immigrants with minor or no criminal records are still being detained across the U.S. despite Trump saying he wants to crack down on immigrants with violent backgrounds. "They don't have years to wait. Once they did get here, these two gentlemen got legal work permits and were working full time and contributing to society with taxes," he said. "I don't know what the difference is between someone who comes in at one point or another point. Take politics out of it. This goes beyond a political lens." Past the politics O'Quinn's family refers to Rodriguez Torres as "Randy," a name he picked himself, because people had trouble pronouncing his name. It's hard for her to look at news reports and court records identifying him as "Joswar," she said. A picture of the two taken at the Barton English School, both smiling ear to ear, is "the smiles they always have on their face," O'Quinn wrote in a text. "I want him to come home," she said Thursday. "Both of them." While Stuckart is a Democrat and O'Quinn was a Republican commissioner, the urge to bring back the men spans the political divide. Stuckart has made contact with Sen. Maria Cantwell's office, and O'Quinn said she reached out to Rep. Michael Baumgartner for help, and he responded promptly by having his staff track information for her on how she could find where the men were taken. "He's actually been very supportive," she said, "And I appreciate that." Baumgartner released a statement Thursday about the protests applauding law enforcement's response and encouraging people to work with federal officials to enforce immigration laws. "We need both secure borders and immigration reform," the statement reads. "Peaceful protest is guaranteed under the Constitution, but there is no excuse for violence or impeding law enforcement officials." His office has not responded for further comment. The stories of Alvarez Perez and Rodriguez Torres deserve to be told, because "they have demonstrated their American values of hard work and integrity," O'Quinn said — they shouldn't become political pawns in a battle with red or blue. Both Republicans and Democrats have vouched for the men, Stuckart said later, calling them "the people you want in our country." Both agree the men did everything they're told to do as immigrants: apply to come into the country legally, get a job and pay taxes. It's the reason O'Quinn believes their detainment doesn't reflect the values of Spokane. "I am grateful for the people who stood up for their rights yesterday," she said. "It tells them that it wasn't Spokane that kicked them out." Editor's note — this story was corrected to reflect the men were not refugees under the U.S. Government but were rather seeking asylum.
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'A united Church': LA faith leaders from different denominations bring flowers instead of fear
LOS ANGELES - "Let this be our first great desire: a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, becoming a ferment for a reconciled world," said Pope Leo XIV. This week, as federal immigration crackdowns cast a shadow over Los Angeles, that vision took on flesh. From the steps of Grand Park to sanctuary churches across the city, faith leaders from every denomination have stood together—not in silence, but in sacred resistance. United in prayer, protest, and purpose. They are answering what they call a moral crisis with a collective response: to love without fear, and to stand as one body for the dignity of all. In a powerful expression of peace, some faithful came to the protests carrying flowers—laying them at the feet of officers and into the hands of immigrants as living symbols of mercy, hope, and presence. Their message was clear: this movement will not meet fear with force—but with love that is visible, gentle, and firm. "Holy God, Ice-T said it best. Ice-T said, 'Los Angeles is a microcosm of the United States. If L.A. falls, the country falls,'" Bishop John Harvey Taylor told the June 10 interfaith assembly in downtown's Grand Park, eliciting applause and cheers. "So we're here tonight to lift up our city on a cloud of prayer. Multicultural, polylingual, pluralistic – Los Angeles is America the beautiful. The most American city of them all, and by your grace, it will not fall. We're here tonight to beseech you to lift the City of Angels on the wings of angels." "We know that our nation has lost its moral compass," said Pastor Q of CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice). "We are going to be the moral defibrillator that shocks this nation's conscience back to life. Believe me when I tell you." Religious leaders emphasized that the federal immigration response is not just a political or legal issue—but a spiritual one. "This is not just a scary moment—it's a sacred one," said Father Brendan Busse of Dolores Mission Church. "This is a sacred moment where we as a city of Los Angeles stand up and recognize that there's two ways we can live. As if everything is sacred, or as if nothing is. And we stand here because we know that everything and everyone and every place is sacred. There are some in our government, as you know, as we have seen, that act as if is nothing sacred. Not our churches, not our schools, not our hospitals, not our shelters, not our homes, not our streets, not our parks, not every place. No place is sacred and nobody is treated as if they were in this city by this government. And so I'm here to remind you that this is a moment where we have a choice to make. If everything is sacred, then we need to respect the dignity of all people, respect the rights of all people. We need to do everything we can to advocate and stand for that." Father Busse talked about children living in fear, and shared a moment from his school where a student saw him speaking on the news. "I asked one of those children, I said, how did that make you feel? And he said, 'Strong.' I felt strong when I saw you up there," Busse said. "That's what I want everybody to hear—in the faith community, the civic community, the business community, and the whole of Los Angeles—that when we stand together, our children do not feel scared… They feel strong when they see us standing together. They feel brave when they see us acting in their name. They feel proud when they see people standing up for what is right." That conviction carried through every prayer and proclamation, as clergy members Friday launched "30 days of resistance, signs, and moral witness." The gathering featured prayers and appeals to conscience, grounded in the belief that "our immigrant sisters and brothers" are "part of the fabric of this city." "Holy God, bless us, protect us, help us all together speak up, rise up, and stand together—for love, for mercy, for compassion, for justice," prayed Pastor Andy. "For a city that welcomes our neighbors as our scriptures teach us to love our neighbors as we love you." "We pledge to be peaceful witnesses," said Bishop Taylor. We can resist unjust authority without lifting a hand against our neighbor." "We will be brave with our love," Father Busse said. "Because that's what Los Angeles is. Someone at that action was there crying in tears, asking, 'Where is my family?' And as I heard them say that, I said—I don't know where they are, but I know exactly who they are. They are our brothers and sisters. And we need to start acting as if that were true." Catholic leaders throughout the region echoed that same message. During a special Day of Prayer for Peace and Unity, Archbishop José Gomez called on the faithful to extend compassion in action: "Pray for our neighbors who are hurting—good, hardworking men and women, people of faith. Like St. Barnabas, we want to go out and console our neighbors and strengthen their hearts… Through our love and compassion, we want to let them know: Jesus is with them. Always." SUGGESTED: List: 'No Kings' anti-Trump protest locations in LA, Southern California Michael Donaldson, Senior Director for the Office of Life, Justice and Peace, said, "With so many in fear, we are hoping to share a message of peace and hope… through prayer, wherever we may be, we are united for peace in our communities." Pope Leo XIV, in a recent address, offered words that seem to mirror the sentiments made by local clergy leaders: "God loves us, all of us. Evil will not prevail. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward." As the 30-day movement begins, clergy across Los Angeles are reminding their communities that unity is not an abstract goal—it's a sacred responsibility. Rooted in Scripture, one of the final messages shared echoed the words of Romans 12:5: "So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." The Source The information in this article comes from statements made by religious leaders amid ongoing ICE raids in the city of Los Angeles.
CBS News
31 minutes ago
- CBS News
Judge blocks plan to allow ICE office at Rikers Island
A judge has blocked Mayor Eric Adams from letting federal immigration authorities reopen an office at Rikers Island, in part because of concerns the mayor invited them back in as part of a deal with the Trump administration to end his corruption case. New York Judge Mary Rosado's decision Friday is a setback for Adams, who issued an executive order permitting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies to maintain office space at the jail complex. City lawmakers filed a lawsuit in April accusing Adams of entering into a "corrupt quid pro quo bargain" with the Trump administration in exchange for the U.S. Justice Department dropping criminal charges against him. Rosado temporarily blocked the executive order in April. In granting a preliminary injunction, she said city council members have "shown a likelihood of success in demonstrating, at minimum, the appearance of a quid pro quo whereby Mayor Adams publicly agreed to bring Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") back to Rikers Island in exchange for dismissal of his criminal charges." Rosado cited a number of factors, including U.S. border czar Tom Homan's televised comments in February that if Adams did not come through, "I'll be in his office, up his butt saying, 'Where the hell is the agreement we came to?' " Adams has repeatedly denied making a deal with the administration over the criminal case. He has said he deputized his first deputy mayor, Randy Mastro, to handle decision-making on the return of ICE to Rikers Island to make sure there was no appearance of any conflict of interest. Rosado said that Mastro reports to Adams and "cannot be considered impartial and free from Mayor Adams' conflicts." Mastro said in a prepared statement Friday the administration was confident they will prevail in the case. "Let's be crystal clear: This executive order is about the criminal prosecution of violent transnational gangs committing crimes in our city. Our administration has never, and will never, do anything to jeopardize the safety of law-abiding immigrants, and this executive order ensures their safety as well," Mastro said. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who is running in the Democratic primary for mayor, called the decision a victory for public safety. "New Yorkers are counting on our city to protect their civil rights, and yet, Mayor Adams has attempted to betray this obligation by handing power over our city to Trump's ICE because he is compromised," she said in a prepared statement.
