Tracking the foreign nationals detained by ICE as tourists or U.S. residents
US Tourists and permanent residents from around the world have been arrested, detained and deported under the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
The recent high-profile detentions and deportations demonstrate an escalation in tactics from immigration officials, accused of targeting some for their political stances or involvement.
The United Nations advised its New York-based employees and their family members to carry U.N. identification cards and a copy of their passport page that contains their visa, the New York Times reported on Monday.
They were warned that they risk being stopped by immigration officials.
French scientist detained for text messages
A French researcher was prevented from entering the U.S. This month because of messages he felt that were critical of the Trump administration’s academic research policies, French government officials told multiple outlets.
The scientist, whose name has not been revealed, was traveling to a conference near Houston, per Le Monde.
“Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values ​​that we will continue to proudly uphold. I will defend the right of all French researchers to be faithful to them, while respecting the law,” Philippe Baptiste, France’s minister of higher education and research, said in a statement.
Baptiste in a post on X said he requested an emergency meeting alongside other European ministers to come up with a plan to preserve academic freedom.
“Europe must rise to the occasion to protect research and welcome the talents who can contribute to its success,” he wrote.
Welsh artist and tourist detained over visa issue
Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old British artist from Wales, was arrested on Feb. 26 during “the trip of a lifetime across North America,” according to her family and a donation page. She was reunited with her family this month, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
She had been staying with host families, where she helped with chores in exchange for lodging. When she tried to cross into Canada, authorities thought she needed a work visa, and she was told to return to the U.S.
“She was refused re-entry and classified as an ‘illegal alien,'” her father wrote.
“Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was handcuffed and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington.”
Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia alumus arrested
Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent U.S. resident with a green card, was arrested by federal agents, prompting free speech and First Amendment concerns from advocates.
The Department of Homeland Security said it gathered evidence that he was actively, but not materially, supporting Hamas. He was involved with the pro-Palestinian encampments at Columbia University last year.
Khalil has not yet been charged with a crime.
Georgetown researcher arrested in his Virginia home
Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University graduating student originally from India was arrested at his Arlington, Virginia, home on Monday night by masked agents who said his student visa had been revoked.
He was accused of “spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism on social media” and having “close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas,” per Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin.
Attorneys for Suri argued in a petition for his release that the detention is unlawful.
A judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration not to deport Suri, pending a further order from the court.
Brown University doctor detained upon return to the U.S.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese citizen and H-1B visa holder, was detained this month upon her arrival to a Boston airport.
She traveled to Beirut for the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, McLaughlin said.
Brown University sponsored Alawieh’s visa after offering her an assistant professorship, according to a complaint. She was previously on a J-1 visa.
Canadian visa seeker detained during routine meeting
Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur, was detained at the San Diego border while going through the process to legally obtain a work visa. She was held for about two weeks.
“There was no explanation, no warning. One minute, I was in an immigration office talking to an officer about my work visa, which had been approved months before and allowed me, a Canadian, to work in the U.S.,” she wrote in the Guardian.
“The next, I was told to put my hands against the wall, and patted down like a criminal before being sent to an ICE detention center without the chance to talk to a lawyer.”
Several Germans detained, prompting updated travel advisories
German authorities updated travel advisories for the U.S., warning of immigration enforcement at the border, following the detentions of Germans.
