These Are The High-Profile Arrests Of Foreign Nationals by the Trump Administration So Far

The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has led to a rise in detentions, arrests, and deportations of foreign nationals. And the offensive is not circumscribed to undocumented immigrants, having also affected students, researchers, and workers.

In response, countries around the world are increasingly issuing travel advisories for the U.S. due to tighter immigration enforcement and concerns over new policies.

Canada has warned citizens that staying in the U.S. for more than 30 days will now require mandatory registration with the U.S. government, effective April 11. Several European countries have also issued warnings for travelers visiting the country, including Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Norway, which are citing stricter immigration enforcement and changes to transgender rights. Germany and the UK have gone as far as to warn that even minor visa issues could lead to prolonged detention or deportation.

In this context, Axios provided a detailed look at the recent high-profile detentions and deportations that have generated concern abroad this past weekend:

University of Minnesota Graduate Student Detained

The University of Minnesota published a letter on Friday expressing "deep concern" with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials who detained a graduate student enrolled in its Twin Cities campus. University authorities went on to explain that they had no prior knowledge of the incident and did not share any information with federal authorities before it occurred.

"It is important to note that our campus departments of public safety, including UMPD, do not enforce federal immigration laws, and our officers do not inquire about an individual's immigration status," explained the letter. "Their focus remains on public safety, fostering trust and maintaining strong relationships across the University community."

University of Alabama Doctoral Student Arrested

The University of Alabama published a statement through social media on Wednesday, revealing that Alireza Doroudi, a mechanical engineering student originally from Iran, had been detained by federal immigration authorities.

"UA has and will continue to follow all immigration laws and cooperate with federal authorities," said a university spokesperson through an emailed statement reported by Axios.

School newspaper The Crimson White, cites Doroudi's lawyer, David Rozas, who explained that the Iranian was "legally present in the U.S., pursuing his American dream by working towards his doctorate." However, in a statement reported by NBC News, the Department of Homeland Security spokesperson claims they made the arrest "in accordance with the State Department's revocation of Doroudi's student visa," adding that "this individual posed significant national security concerns."

Turkish Student Detained at Tufts University

Rumeysa Ozturk, a 30-year-old Turkish PhD student at Tufts University, was arrested by masked federal immigration agents on March 25 in Somerville, Massachusetts, and transferred to a Louisiana detention facility, as The Boston Globe reports.

Ozturk, who is on a student visa, had voiced support for the pro-Palestinian movement, but her lawyer reported she was not aware of any charges against her. Despite a judge's order to prevent her removal, she was transferred without prior notice. Ozturk's arrest follows similar actions against other pro-Palestinian activists. A video of the arrest quickly went viral:

French Scientist Denied Entry Over Critical Text Messages

A French scientist was denied entry into the United States in March after U.S. authorities discovered messages on his phone expressing his personal opinions on Trump administration science policies. The scientist, who hasn't publicly been named, was employed by France's National Center for Scientific Research and was traveling to a conference in Houston when border officials stopped him, The New York Times reports.

"Freedom of opinion, free research, and academic freedom are values ​​that we will continue to proudly uphold," said Philippe Baptiste, France's minister of higher education and research, through a statement reported by Axios. "I will defend the right of all French researchers to be faithful to them, while respecting the law."

Canadian Entrepreneur Detained for Visa Issue

Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur, was detained for two weeks in early March after a border officer questioned her visa status. Mooney had been in the process of filing a new application after her previous work visa had been revoked. She penned an Op-ed published on The Guardian which describes the details of being held in multiple detention centers under harsh conditions before eventually being released after public attention brought her case to light.

Welsh Artist Detained

Rebecca Burke, a 28-year-old British artist from Wales, was detained on February 26 when U.S. authorities mistakenly believed she needed a work visa to cross into Canada, as the BBC reported. Despite being a tourist with no criminal record, she was classified as an "illegal alien," handcuffed, and taken to a detention facility in Tacoma, Washington. She was later reunited with her family in March.

Pro-Palestinian activist and Columbia alum arrested

Mahmoud Khalil, a U.S. permanent resident and Columbia alum, was arrested for allegedly supporting Hamas. The DHS claimed he was involved with pro-Palestinian movements at Columbia but he has not yet been criminally charged.

Georgetown Researcher Arrested

Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown University graduate student from India, was arrested in Arlington, Virginia, on March 17, accused of promoting Hamas propaganda, antisemitism and having "close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas," per DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. A judge ruled on March 20 that Suri could not be deported while awaiting further court orders but his student visa had been revoked.

Brown University Doctor Detained

Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese citizen and Brown University assistant professor, was detained in March upon her return to the U.S. after attending the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. She had an H-1B visa sponsored by the university after transitioning from a J-1 visa.

Several Germans Detained

German authorities updated U.S. travel advisories after several Germans were detained by U.S. immigration including Lucas Sielaff, detained for two weeks after a language barrier led to a mistaken answer about his residence; Jessica Brösche, who spent over six weeks in detention after authorities assumed she was intending to work illegally in the U.S. and Fabian Schmidt a permanent U.S. resident originally from Germany, detained after returning from a trip to Luxembourg on March 7.