Who is Yeonsoo Go? South Korean student and a priest’s daughter detained by US immigration officials

Yeonsoo Go, a South Korean student, was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following a routine visit hearing at Federal Plaza Immigration Court in New York, according to media reports. Go, 20, the daughter of local Episcopal priest Kyrie Kim, was arrested and placed in federal detention nearby and was eventually moved, like so many recent ICE detainees, to a facility in Louisiana, according to CNN.

The development comes as US President Donald Trump has vowed to launch the largest mass deportation operation in American history. As a part of the exercise, immigrants living in the US, both illegally and legally, including those with valid documentation such as green cards and visas, are being detained.

The administration’s deportation plan has led to intensified ICE raids nationwide, along with reports of arrests at immigration appointments.


Speaking to CNN, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said that Go was arrested and placed in expedited removal proceedings after overstaying a visa “that expired more than two years ago.” “The fact of the matter is those who are in our country illegally have a choice—they can leave the country voluntarily or be arrested and deported,” McLaughlin said.

Who is Yeonsoo Go?

Yeonsoo Go is a South Korean native and a Scarsdale High School graduate. She moved to the US from Seoul with her mother on a religious visa roughly four years ago. She was in the process of switching to a student visa.

After completing her freshman year at Purdue University, where she’s studying to become a pharmacist, Go returned home to Scarsdale in Westchester County to spend the summer with her mother. Go’s mother, Rev. Kyrie Kim, serves with the Asian ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of New York and, according to the church, is the first woman ordained in the Seoul Diocese of the Anglican Church of Korea, as reported by CNN.

According to ABC7 NY, Go's lawyer stated that the 20-year-old was asked to appear in court on Thursday (July 31, 2025) for a procedural hearing on her visa renewal application. After the judge gave her a return date in October, ICE agents detained her as soon as she left the building.

Go’s arrest sparks protests

The arrest of the South Korean student over immigration issues triggered protests during the weekend, with around 75 faith leaders and advocates gathering outside 26 Federal Plaza on Saturday morning to demand their release.

Supporters from the Episcopal Diocese of New York, the Interfaith Center of New York, and the New York Immigration Coalition called for Go’s release on Saturday (August 2, 2025) during a gathering in Manhattan’s Federal Plaza, where Go was held immediately after her arrest, according to Davis and the diocese.

According to CNN, the crowd of protesters prayed, sang songs, and marched with signs bearing the picture of the 20-year-old. Go’s friends spoke about the positive influence she had on those around her.