University of Minnesota leaders say ICE has detained a graduate student

Pro-Palestinian supporters demanding divestment from companies that profit off the Israel-Hamas war, hold signs outside as the University of Minnesota's Board of Regents meet on Friday, May 10, 2024, in Minneapolis. The University of Minnesota disclosed this week that about $5 million of its $2.27 billion endowment investments or less than a quarter of 1% are tied to Israeli companies or U.S. defense contractors. (AP Photo/Trisha Ahmed) (Trisha Ahmed)

MINNEAPOLIS – A University of Minnesota international student is being detained by U.S. immigration authorities, school leaders said in a statement this week.

University leadership said Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained the graduate student Thursday at an off-campus residence. They described the situation as “deeply concerning.”

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The student is enrolled in business school at the university’s Twin Cities campus.

What prompted the student’s detention is not yet known. An Associated Press email requesting comment from ICE was not immediately returned Saturday.

University officials said the school is providing the student with legal aid and other support services. University of Minnesota leaders said school officials did not share information with federal authorities and were not given advance notice about the detention.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in a post on the social media site X said he is in touch with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“The University of Minnesota is an international destination for education and research,” Walz wrote. “We have any number of students studying here with visas, and we need answers.”