A “worst case scenario,” and the fears of many undocumented residents in Westchester played out last week when 20-year-old Yeonsoo Go was detained by ICE for five days for no legal cause.

Go, known as Soo to family and friends, came to New York from South Korea in 2021, with her mother on a religious Visa. She attended Scarsdale High School and graduated in 2024. Her mother is an Episcopal church pastor and works at a church in Scarsdale.

Soo is attending Purdue University and was attending what was to be a routine Immigration hearing in NYC when ICE detained her.

The explanation from the Department of Homeland Security was, “Yeonsoo Go, an illegal alien from South Korea, overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.  “President Trump and Secretary Noem are committed to restoring integrity to the visa program and ensuring it is not abused to allow aliens a permanent one-way ticket to remain in the U.S. ICE arrested her on July 31 and placed her in expedited removal proceedings.”

That explanation appears to be unfounded, because Soo was released 5 days after being detained, and after an outcry from religious leaders, elected officials, and the Scarsdale community.

DHS gave no reason why Soo was released.  Soo’s visa was valid through December 2025.

We have questions for ICE:
I-                   What mechanisms in the review of immigration cases flagged Soo’s case? Who in ICE was responsible for initially signing off on her detention?
II-                 Why didn’t a supervisor, or a superior ICE officer, review and reject the detention of Soo? What are the operational procedures at ICE to review cases that might not warrant detention and removal?
III-               The fact that Soo and her mother are here on a religious Visa, and that Soo’s mother is an Episcopal minister, should have been a flag NOT to detain Soo.
IV-               The fact that Soo is a graduate of Scarsdale High School and is attending Purdue University should have been another flag NOT to detain Soo.

What this error by ICE does harm to is the original intent of ICE and DHS, which is to detain and deport criminal, illegal residents.

And in January, ICE claimed that they were only deporting criminal illegal residents. But that mission has been changed now to, when ICE enters a home to deport a criminal illegal, any other illegal residents in that home will also be removed.

But Soo is not a criminal. She lives in a religious home with her mother in Scarsdale, not a hotbed of illegal resident activity because of the cost of housing. And no criminal illegals were living with Soo and her mother.

So what happened? While we are glad that Soo was released, we would like to know the process by which she was identified for removal.

Scarsdale resident and Assemblywoman Amy Paulin led the public outcry to have Soo released. She had planned a rally in Scarsdale to keep the pressure on ICE to release her.

“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and relief. After five long days, Yeonsoo Go has been released from ICE custody and is back with her family. She is home, she is safe, and she is so grateful for the outpouring of love and support from this incredible community.

“The pain, fear, and uncertainty she and her family endured over the past five days should never have happened—but tonight we celebrate her freedom and the strength of a community that refused to stay silent.

“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Congressman George Latimer, Congresswoman Grace Meng, and Congressman Mike Lawler for their swift efforts to help secure Yeonsoo’s release.

“Let this moment remind us of the power we have when we come together, and of the work we must continue to ensure that no one is unjustly detained in this country,” said Paulin.

Go was sent to federal immigration detention in Louisiana. Her lawyer says ICE has not explained why. Her case made national news on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC.

“Yeonsoo Go is the daughter of an Episcopal priest who is here legally with what’s known as an R2 Visa. Yeonsoo went to Scarsdale HS and was accepted into Purdue. She was abducted by 5 ICE agents. Nobody knows where she is located. My eyes teared as I watched this on the Maddow show. I can’t imagine the horror this beautiful young woman is going through. I look at her and think this could happen to many innocent granddaughters,” said a viewer.

Senator Shelley Mayer said, “I am deeply relieved that Yeonsoo has been released from ICE custody and has been reunited with her family. While I am grateful for the swift actions of my colleagues Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Congressman George Latimer, Congressman Michael Lawler, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and Senator Chuck Schumer, the Episcopal Diocese of New York, and the advocacy of so many in our community, we must not forget that Yeonsoo should have never been detained. Based on the information provided by her lawyer, Yeonsoo is a lawful, law-abiding resident of the United States and has not been accused or convicted of any crime.

“ICE’s actions against Yeonsoo, like their actions against thousands of others across this country, were unconstitutional and unacceptable. There is no justification for detaining law-abiding individuals who are residing lawfully in the United States and attending immigration hearings as required,” said Mayer.

To Mayer’s credit, she has previously stated that, “Those who have been convicted of major criminal wrongdoing are rightly subject to deportation. What is not acceptable is the seizure and detention of thousands of people who are not violent criminals, or criminals at all, but simply those seeking a better life here in America.”

We agree that criminal illegal residents should be deported, but not hard-working illegal residents who have lived here for years and have no criminal record. As a country, we have not had that debate; we are not there yet.  

But one thing we can agree on is that Soo and her mother are welcome here in the United States of America. “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.”