Latest news with #Hoque
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
Scroll.in
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Inclusion in draft NRC does not override foreigners tribunal's declaration as non-citizen: SC
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that an individual's name being listed in the draft National Register of Citizens of 2018 does not overrule a prior declaration by a Foreigners Tribunal that the person is a foreigner. The bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Manoj Misra upheld a Gauhati High Court decision which had declined to overturn the tribunal's 2017 finding against a man named Rofiqul Hoque. Foreigners Tribunals in Assam are quasi-judicial bodies that adjudicate on matters of citizenship. In 2016, the Sivasagar Police in Assam had made a reference to the Foreigners Tribunal, alleging that Hoque was a foreigner who had entered India without documentation after March 25, 1971. Only those living in the state before March 25, 1971, or their descendants, qualify as Indian citizens in Assam, as per the Assam Accord. Hoque submitted several documents before the tribunal to prove his Indian citizenship, including voter lists showing that his grandfather's name was in the voter list of 1966, while his grandmother's name was in the voter list of 1970. He also submitted his own duplicate school leaving certificate. The tribunal, however, said that the place of residence of Hoque's grandfather, as listed in voter lists, was in a different village than the one that Hoque had claimed. On March 4, 2017, the tribunal ruled that Hoque had failed to prove that he was an Indian citizen, after which he approached the High Court. The High Court, while upholding the decision of the tribunal, questioned why Hoque had submitted a duplicate school leaving certificate without any proof that he had lost the original one. The High Court also questioned why the certificate was issued 10 years after Hoque left the school, and why the school headmaster had not been examined. In July 2018, Assam published a draft National Register of Citizens that left out over 40 lakh applicants. Hoque's name, however, was included in the register. In his petition before the Supreme Court, Hoque argued that because his name had been included in the draft National Register of Citizens, he could no longer be considered a foreigner. However, the court rejected this claim, citing a judgment from 2019 holding that a person's inclusion in the National Register of Citizens did not nullify a prior tribunal ruling. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Manoj Misra said that in view of the Supreme Court ruling in 2019 and the tribunal's declaration in Hoque's case, 'the name of the appellant could not have been included in the draft NRC and, secondly, even if it has been included, it would not annul the declaration made by the Tribunal'. In February, Scroll tracked down relatives of seven of the 63 persons who were declared foreigners and have challenged the order of the foreigners' tribunals in various constitutional courts, including in the Supreme Court. All of them contested the Assam government's claim that they were from Bangladesh.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge orders release of detained international student who says he was targeted for supporting Palestinian human rights
A federal district court judge in Minnesota ordered the release of a detained international student Monday after finding the Trump administration failed to show it didn't target him for speaking publicly about Palestine. Minnesota State University-Mankato student Mohammed Hoque, a Bangladeshi national who entered the United States on a valid F-1 visa in 2021, was arrested by Department of Homeland Security officers outside his home in March, according to court documents. Officers had followed the student home after class and arrested him – purportedly due to a visa revocation – in front of his parents who were there for a visit, documents show. Hoque was detained until US District Judge Jerry Blackwell ordered his release this week, saying his arrest matched a pattern of activity by the Trump administration targeting non-citizens who engaged in protest activity against the war in Gaza, raising concerns about First Amendment violations. 'The record contains sufficiently clear evidence of viewpoint-based targeting for (Hoque's) exercise of protected speech on a matter of public concern,' the judge wrote in his order, adding that the arrest 'aligns with the publicly stated executive policy of targeting social media users who express support for Palestinian human rights and criticize violence in Gaza, as Petitioner had done.' Blackwell added the Department of Justice failed to present any evidence to justify Hoque's initial arrest and his continued detention. Hoque, a student of management information systems, has argued in court filings he was targeted for his political speech and not any immigration violations or criminal activity. Attorneys told the court Hoque's student visa and Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) record were terminated. CNN has reached out to the Justice Department for comment on the judge's order. Hoque's case is among a string of recent student visa cancellations and revocations of statuses from SEVIS that have affected thousands of students across the United States amid a larger Trump administration immigration crackdown. In many instances, students and their attorneys said they believed their statuses were revoked because of minor entanglements with law enforcement like traffic violations or underage drinking. In calling for Hoque's visa to be revoked, the State Department cited two previous misdemeanor charges against him – including one misdemeanor assault charge he was never convicted of – and called him a threat to public safety, according to the judge's order, which notes that the memo does not accurately represent that the student was never arrested, and instead completed a stayed sentence in mid-2024. Court records show Hoque was convicted of disorderly conduct in 2023 in Minnesota – which the judge said is a crime that 'does not appear to support removability.' CNN has reached out to Hoque's lawyers for more information on the conviction. Hoque was released on bail Tuesday and has been reunited with his family, according to his attorneys. 'Yesterday, Mohammed Hoque was released on bond,' Teresa Nelson, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union in Minnesota said in a statement. 'While we celebrate that Mr. Hoque has been reunited with his family, we are deeply aware that Mr. Hoque should never have been detained in the first place. We know Mr. Hoque can't recoup the 40 days he spent in custody.' Reasoning for detaining the student kept changing, judge says Shortly after his arrest, attorneys for Hoque filed suit against the Trump administration, and a habeas petition seeking to stop his transfer out of the state. Blackwell initially granted their motion for a temporary restraining order, which kept Hoque in detention in Minnesota. During a bail hearing before an immigration judge last month, Hoque was found not to be a danger to the community despite the government's charges and ordered to be released. That decision was appealed by the government, which kept him in detention, according to the judge's order. In his release order, Blackwell chided the government for changing charges against Hoque, apparently to keep him in custody. The lack of clarity has only supported Hoque's claims that he was targeted for his speech, not any illegal activity, Blackwell wrote. The judge said, 'the Government cited different reasons at different times for its actions,' first citing 'failure to maintain status and foreign policy,' then criminal records. 'The Government also refers to requests and communications without providing the requests or communications themselves,' Blackwell wrote. 'In the face of public evidence of a practice of targeting speech, these omissions are glaring and fail to rebut the evidence that the Government was motivated to arrest and detain Petitioner because he had spoken publicly about Palestine.' Now that Hoque has been released, the lawsuit will move forward along with the immigration proceedings that the Department of Homeland Security has started against him. It's not just visa holders that have been targeted by the Trump administration's crackdown. Mahmoud Khalil and Mohsen Madawi – pro-Palestinian activists at Columbia University – are now fighting deportation after the State Department ordered revocation of their permanent legal resident status, commonly known as a 'green card,' and arrested them in March and April, respectively. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Detained Mankato student freed from ICE custody after court ruling
The Brief Mohammed Hoque, 20, from Bangladesh, was a Minnesota State University-Mankato student when he was detained by ICE in March. Hoque fought the detainment in a lawsuit, saying he had no criminal record, and that he was arrested out of "retaliation" for his support of "Palestinian human rights." On Tuesday, ACLU-MN officials confirmed that Hoque has been released from ICE custody following a federal court ruling contesting the legality of his detainment. MANKATO, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota State University-Mankato student Mohammed Hoque has been released from the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials following a federal court ruling contesting the legality of his detainment. Mohammed Hoque released by ICE What we know In March, Minnesota State University-Mankato President Edward Inch announced one student had been arrested by ICE, later saying a total of five international students had had their F1 student status terminated by DHS without notice. At the time, Hoque, 20, from Bangladesh, said he had no criminal record, and his attorneys alleged that he was arrested out of "retaliation" for his support of "Palestinian human rights." His attorneys filed a lawsuit on his behalf to fight the detainment, claiming it was a violation of the First Amendment. The lawsuit named President Donald Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and St. Paul ICE Field Officer Director Peter Berg, among other officials, as defendants. Court order Dig deeper In a 17-page ruling filed Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Jerry Blackwell ordered Hoque's immediate release from ICE custody. Hoque's release includes conditions previously imposed by an Immigration Court judge, who found Hoque did not pose a danger to the community, including having to pay a $7,500 bond. In the order, Judge Blackwell writes, "the record contains sufficiently clear evidence of viewpoint-based targeting for Petitioner's [Hoque] exercise of protected speech on a matter of public concern." Blackwell concluded that Hoque's arrest, "aligns with the publicly stated executive policy of targeting social media users who express support for Palestinian human rights and criticize violence in Gaza, as Petitioner [Hoque] had done. In prior court filings, lawyers for the Department of Homeland Security had maintained Hoque was eligible for deportation because of a disorderly conduct conviction that made him a public safety threat. But Blackwell disagreed, writing, "Even accepting the assertion… that Petitioner's [Hoque] visa revocation was premised on his 2023 misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge, that crime does not appear to support removability… and standing alone, does not authorize revocation" of Hoque's visa. In a subsequent court filing, Blackwell raised constitutional questions about the actions of DHS and ICE in arresting and detaining Hoque for 40 days. "The record continues to present serious constitutional questions regarding the lawfulness of Petitioner's [Hoque] detention and the potential chilling effect of the Government's enforcement actions on protected expression," Blackwell wrote. What they're saying In a statement to FOX 9, ACLU-MN Legal Director Teresa Nelson says in part, "While we celebrate that Mr. Hoque has been reunited with his family, we are deeply aware that Mr. Hoque should never have been detained in the first place. We know Mr. Hoque can't recoup the 40 days he spent in custody." Nelson confirmed to FOX 9 that Hoque has since been released from custody on bond. Big picture view In recent months, since Trump took office, FOX 9 has covered a number of students who have lost their status at Minnesota colleges. During his campaign, President Trump promised to crackdown on illegal immigration. At the University of Minnesota, FOX 9 has been covering the detainment of graduate student Dogukan Gunaydin, who was facing removal over a drunk driving arrest in 2023. Gunaydin filed a lawsuit to contest his removal. Along with his immigration policy, Trump has also vowed to take on anti-Semitism on college campuses associated with Palestinian protests. The president issued two executive orders in January related to Palestinian protests. Addressing the second order, the president specifically warned international students that the administration would revoke student visas for "all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before." The Source Federal court documents released Tuesday, and previous FOX 9 reporting on Hoque's case.
The National
29-04-2025
- Business
- The National
'Cyber criminals took Dh39,000 from my account as I planned my wedding'
At a time when UAE resident Ambia Hoque should have been excited for her wedding, she recalls being distressed when fraudsters transferred her credit card to their digital wallet. The experience left her emotionally and financially shattered. The 30-year-old marketing manager says her RAKBank credit card was fraudulently registered on Apple Pay to an unknown device without her authorisation. 'In the span of one hour, nearly Dh39,000 ($10,610) was drained from my account across multiple local and international transactions, which is completely out of character for my spending habits,' she recalls. 'Distracted by wedding preparations, I did not notice the transactions immediately, but the moment I did, I reported the fraud to the bank and filed a police case.' However, she claims the bank has refused to help, insisting that Apple Pay transactions are 'secure' and that she must bear the loss. Ms Hoque says she never shared her one-time password with anyone, yet her card was added to an unknown device. Transactions involving large sums were approved without any security checks. No fraud alerts were triggered, no verification was done, and Ms Hoque says she was left to discover the theft on her own. The bank has also charged her cash advance fees on the fraudulent transactions, she claims. As digital wallets gain popularity for their speed and ease, they become more attractive targets for cyber criminals. US consumer losses involving digital wallet fraud exceeded $347 million in 2024, according to Federal Trade Commission data. A digital wallet is an electronic payment storage system that houses your credit card, debit card and other financial information so you can conveniently pay for purchases by tapping your phone or other connected device at a merchant's contactless checkout terminal. It's usually facilitated by payment applications like Google Pay, Apple Pay or Samsung Pay. Ms Hoque says although the Central Bank of the UAE acknowledged her experience was fraud, since it happened through Apple Pay, both RAKBank and the regulator told her to bear the financial loss. 'Instead of focusing on my wedding and my new life with my husband, I was dealing with endless calls and emails, desperately trying to get back what was stolen from me,' she says. 'How is it fair that scammers can exploit us so easily while we're left to deal with the consequences? I just got married three months ago and don't have the funds to cover transactions I never authorised. How many more people need to fall victim before real change happens?' When she contacted Apple, Ms Hoque was told that Apple Pay is not a payment service and is not involved in authorising, executing or processing transactions. She was asked to raise any dispute related to the authorisation of a transaction or alleged fraud with the financial institution that issued the card, according to Apple's response seen by The National. While RAKBank refused to comment on individual customer cases, a representative says when account credentials are compromised outside of the bank's secure systems, the lender's ability to assist the customer is 'limited' and the appropriate remedy for customers in these instances is to reach out to law enforcement agencies and report the fraud. 'This is why we continuously urge customers to remain vigilant against fraud attempts and to safeguard their personal and banking information. We remain committed to support affected customers to the extent possible and to raising awareness on fraud prevention,' said the representative. Steve Cronin, a financial independence coach and founder of says banks and the UAE Central Bank need to step up to address this challenge, as many people's cards are being added to someone else's Apple Pay and then not getting reimbursed. He advises customers to limit the number of cards they have, use the bank's website or app to reduce their card limit, block international transactions and reduce the maximum transaction limit. He suggests even temporarily blocking cards that aren't used often. Avoid using debit cards online or in shops. Ensure SMS notifications are switched on for all cards. If you see anything suspicious, block the card immediately through the app and then call the bank. Some people have been reimbursed by complaining to Apple or even the merchant, Mr Cronin says. Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching, says the burden of proof often falls on the consumer and stresses the need for stronger protections, clearer accountability between financial institutions and tech companies, and better education on digital security. Until then, awareness and vigilance are the best defence, she warns. Users should enable biometric and two-factor authentication, use strong and unique passwords, and avoid storing card details in unsecured apps to secure digital wallets, says Maher Yamout, lead security researcher for the Middle East, Turkey and Africa at cyber security company Kaspersky. 'Always download wallet apps from official stores and ensure your device is equipped with online payment protection. Users should also activate real-time banking transaction alerts to catch any suspicious activity, and lock both devices and financial apps with unique passcodes to secure sensitive data in case of theft or loss,' he suggests. 'Lastly, it's essential to have an endpoint security software or modern antivirus to protect against specific malware types that steal digital wallet details.' It's important to use only trusted providers like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, or PayPal, and take the time to understand the security features each one offers, Mr Yamout recommends. Hackers exploit phishing, fake apps and malware-like banking trojans to steal login credentials or intercept one-time passwords, he warns. Ms Glynn suggests freezing the card immediately, cancelling it and reporting the fraud to the bank. Work with them on their refund request process. 'If you are not happy with their treatment of your case, you can log a complaint with the Central Bank of the UAE through their official channels. You need to give the bank 30 days after lodging a formal complaint with the bank to respond before you can approach the Central Bank. You can also file a police report, especially if large amounts are involved. This creates an official record that may support further action with your bank,' she says. 'Request a full investigation and ask your bank for documentation showing how and when your card was added to the wallet, including IP addresses and device IDs. If your bank refuses responsibility, you can also raise the issue with the consumer protection department at the Central Bank.' She explains that while the Central Bank has stated that Apple Pay transactions are considered secure, persistent complaints and a clear pattern of similar incidents could prompt further scrutiny or even policy changes in the future. While Apple Pay doesn't process payments themselves (the bank or card issuer does), Apple has a duty to investigate if a card was fraudulently added to their platform. Victims can contact Apple Support and request an investigation into when and how the card was added, the device ID and location linked to the unauthorised registration, and whether biometric or password protections were bypassed or exploited, Ms Glynn suggests. 'In some cases, Apple may provide supporting documentation that can be used to escalate the issue with the bank or regulator. However, Apple typically redirects liability to the issuing bank, because the bank is the one authorising the transaction once the payment leaves the Apple Pay environment,' she says. 'That's why it's so important for both companies to be held accountable and for consumers to push back when responses are dismissive.'
