A 20-year-old South Korean student was arrested and is set to be deported soon. Yeonsoo Go, who is confused and “scared,” first accompanied her mother, who is an Episcopal priest, to the US a few years ago. ICE detailed how Go is being deported for overstaying her welcome after her visa expired, while her attorney claims the opposite.
Yeonsoo Go and her mother first arrived in the US in 2021 on an R-2 visa. Her mother, Rev. Kyrie Kim, is an Episcopal priest. Kim is the first woman to be ordained by the Seoul Diocese of the Anglican Church of Korea. The 20-year-old was arrested by ICE agents on July 31st outside the Federal Plaza in Manhattan.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin spoke about Go’s arrest while labeling the 20-year-old as an “illegal alien” in the statement. “Yeonsoo Go, an illegal alien from South Korea, overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago,” McLaughlin stated, as per Daily Mail.
She went on to note how President Trump and Secretary Noem were on a mission to restore the integrity of the visa program. In the same statement, the DHS assistant secretary revealed that Go was being placed in expedited removal proceedings.
Go’s attorney, on the other hand, had a totally different story to tell. They claimed that the South Korean national held a valid visa that was set to expire in December 2025. The representative also shares that the student was awaiting a pending application for extension.
Daughter of priest, 20, is arrested by ICE for overstaying her religious visa for two years https://t.co/3zcmbkJRhb
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) August 4, 2025
“The judge was satisfied enough to continue the case until October,” Go’s attorney claims. They also pointed out that there was “no indication” or warning that their client was being taken into custody.
Rt. Rev. Matthew Heyd, who serves as a bishop coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, revealed that Go is being held at a confinement center that is unfit for humans. The Reverend shared that the 20-year-old has been calling her mother frequently.
He noted that the center ICE is holding the student is widely known to not have showers, beds, or hot meals. The reverend went on to call the confinement center “illegal and immoral.”
Go’s mother, who is distressed, spoke about how heartbreaking it is that she cannot see her daughter. “This is simply an incomprehensible situation,” the Episcopal priest added.
Free Yeonsoo, a 20 year old college student and daughter of a priest kidnapped at 26 federal plaza @EpiscopalNY @ICNY pic.twitter.com/NhSKja0m1d
— New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) (@thenyic) August 2, 2025
She shared how she has spent her life working towards protecting the rights of Korean immigrants through the New Sanctuary Coalition. Kim noted how she never imagined her own family would end up being a “target.”
Yeonsoo Go’s impending deportation has united people to stand against ICE’s actions. Faith leaders, elected officials, and immigration advocates gathered in front of the ICE building located in Lower Manhattan to protest.
