03-08-2025
Daughter of Korean priest detained by ICE after visa hearing
A 20-year-old South Korean student at Purdue University and daughter of an Episcopal priest has been detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after attending a routine court hearing over her visa status, according to news reports Sunday.
The Episcopal Diocese of New York and immigrant advocacy groups are calling for the immediate release of Go Yeon-soo, saying she was unfairly detained despite having legal status, and that immigration authorities bypassed proper legal procedures.
Go, a graduate of Scarsdale High School in Westchester County, is the daughter of the Rev. Kim Ky-rie, the first woman ordained in the Seoul Diocese of the Anglican Church of Korea.
According to the family, Go entered the United States in March 2021 on an R-2 visa, a dependent visa for family members of R-1 religious visa holders, following her mother's relocation. The family said her stay was legally extended in 2023 and that her status remains valid through the end of 2025. However, immigration authorities reportedly interpreted her status differently and deemed her stay unlawful.
On July 31, Go appeared before the New York Immigration Court and was given a continuance for her hearing, which was rescheduled for October. But shortly after exiting the courthouse, she was detained by ICE agents. She is currently being held at the ICE office in Manhattan and is expected to be transferred to a detention facility for immigrants.
'Her mother receives regular calls from Yeon-soo, and she's being held at 26 Federal Plaza, which, as we know, is not a facility with showers, beds or hot meals,' said the Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, during a press conference Saturday. 'These detentions are not only illegal — they're immoral.'
The press conference was held outside the ICE office in Manhattan by the diocese and a coalition of immigrant advocacy organizations.
The case comes amid growing concerns over the treatment of immigrants, particularly among the Korean community. Last month, Tae-heung Kim, a 40-year-old Ph.D. student at Texas A&M University, was detained by federal agents at San Francisco International Airport and remains in custody.
