Detained Minnesota student appears in immigration court
Detained UMN student appears in court
A University of Minnesota student who was detained by ICE last month appeared in immigration court on Tuesday.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The University of Minnesota graduate student who was detained by ICE late last month made his first appearance in immigration court on Tuesday.
Detained UMN student in court
What we know:
Dogukan Gunaydin appeared virtually before an immigration judge for the first time on Tuesday following his arrest by ICE agents on March 27.
In court, his attorneys argued that prosecutors were now attempting to use a charge usually reserved for terrorists to remove him from the country.
Prosecutors argued Gunaydin should remain jailed as court proceedings play out. A judge delayed a decision on bond until Friday morning. Gunaydin will have a chance to testify during that hearing.
While further arguments on Gunaydin will be made during a hearing on April 15.
The other side:
Tuesday's hearing came as the student fights to be freed from ICE detention in Sherburne County Jail.
The Department of Homeland Security revoked Gunaydin's student visa over a 2023 drunk driving arrest. The criminal complaint states Gunaydin was driving on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis at more than two times the legal limit. He ultimately pleaded guilty in the case, signing a plea agreement that acknowledged he could face deportation due to the conviction.
Dogukan Gunaydin fights deportation
The backstory:
Gunaydin filed a lawsuit after his detainment, arguing that the drunk-driving arrest alone isn't enough for him to lose his student status. His attorneys filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus, arguing his detainment was unlawful. The petition alleged even ICE officials seemed confused about why he was being detained.
Gunaydin's attorneys argued he maintained his academic course load and GPA during the arrest and, aside from an earlier speeding ticket, has not faced any other legal trouble.
Prosecutors respond:
In court documents filed on Friday, federal prosecutors responded to Gunaydin's lawsuit, arguing that decisions on his detainment should be made by the immigration court, not United States District Court.
They asked the court to dismiss Gunaydin's petition to allow the normal process to play out in immigration court.
The Source: This report uses past reporting on Gunaydin, court filings, and reporting from FOX 9's Bill Keller, who was in court for Gunaydin's hearing.