Campbell sends letter to Sec. Noem and Braun demanding proper protections for international students

Today, Aug. 21, State Rep. Chris Campbell (D-West Lafayette) and other Indiana House Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and Gov. Mike Braun. The letter questions the wrongful arrest and five-day detainment of Purdue Pharmacy student Yeonsoo Go, who was in the country legally on a religious dependent visa. It also requests that federal and state agencies take steps to protect Indiana’s international students. 

“Now more than ever, we need to protect Indiana’s international students," Campbell said. "The viciousness our government is showing immigrants is truly frightening. Arresting people without due process and sending them to a detention center is not policy – it’s heartlessness. The wrongful detention of Yeonsoo Go is evidence of ICE’s carelessness. 

“I want answers. I want ICE to tell me how they made this mistake, and I want them to ensure this never happens again. Our international students deserve to be free from the fear that they’ll be detained simply because they are coming to the U.S. to learn from our great institutions. This letter asks both the federal and state governments to take immediate steps to protect students’ legal rights and safety.  

"Braun insists that his policy is the ‘worst first,’ so I hope he stands up for our international students who have committed no crime.”