The University of Minnesota has confirmed that an international graduate student from the Carlson School of Management was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials while off-campus. The university emphasized that they had no prior knowledge of the incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred.
The detention has sparked concerns among the university community, with many expressing outrage and solidarity with the detained student. The incident is part of a broader trend of ICE targeting international students and academics, particularly those involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
According to reports, the detained student is a graduate student in the Carlson School of Management and has been enrolled at the university since 2022. The student’s name has not been released, and the university has declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing federal privacy laws.
The University of Minnesota has a large international student population, with students from over 130 countries enrolled. The university has a strong commitment to supporting international students and has spoken out against policies that target or discriminate against them.
“We are deeply concerned about the detention of our international graduate student and are working to provide support to the student and their family,” said a university spokesperson. “We will continue to advocate for the rights and dignity of all our students, regardless of their immigration status.”
The detention of the University of Minnesota student is not an isolated incident. In recent months, there have been several reports of ICE targeting international students and academics, particularly those involved in pro-Palestinian activism.
In March 2025, Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia University student, was detained by ICE agents. Khalil’s detention sparked widespread outrage and protests, with many accusing ICE of targeting him for his pro-Palestinian activism.
Similarly, Rümeysa Öztürk, a Turkish national and Tufts University graduate student, was detained by ICE and accused of supporting Hamas. However, her lawyers argue that she was targeted for her pro-Palestinian activism and that the charges against her are baseless.
The targeting of international students and academics by ICE has sparked concerns about academic freedom and the chilling effect it can have on campus activism. Many universities have spoken out against the targeting of international students and have called for greater transparency and accountability from ICE.
As the University of Minnesota continues to support the detained student and their family, the incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggles faced by international students and academics in the United States.