April 16, 2025 | 11:09 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Member of House Commission 1 Junico Siahaan urges the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indonesian diplomatic representatives to work to ensure the rights of an Indonesian citizen who was arrested in Minnesota, U.S., are fulfilled. Aditya Harsono, AHW, was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 27.
Nico—Junico’s nickname—pushes the ministry and the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago to provide maximum assistance to Aditya Harsono. "This is not just about individual legal cases, but concerns the nation’s dignity in providing protection to its citizens abroad,” said Nico on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, as quoted from the official statement.
Nico believes that Indonesia must demonstrate its earnest efforts to advocate the legal rights of its citizens, especially when facing foreign legal systems with unique dynamics and challenges.
According to the member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction, the legal system of foreign countries is often complex and not always easy to understand. "Therefore, the state’s presence is highly necessary. We know that the United States is a unique country. We can even say it’s a strange one, especially with its current leader and the ever-changing rules," said Nico.
Echoing Nico’s statement, another member of Commission 1, Amelia Anggraini, urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to ensure that Aditya's legal and consular rights are highly protected, with fair and transparent legal assistance.
"We also request the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to closely work with local authorities to ensure no human rights violation occurs while handling the case and no detrimental consequences for the Indonesia-United States diplomatic relations," said the National Democratic Party politician when contacted via text message.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate General in Chicago stated that they are currently giving legal assistance to Aditya. "The Consulate General in Chicago has communicated with AWH and his wife, who is a US citizen. During the legal process, he has been accompanied by an attorney," said the Director of Citizen Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Judha Nugraha, in his written statement on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
In 2022, Judha stated that Aditya had been legally charged with fourth-degree property damage during a Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality involving the death of George Floyd.
Judha also stressed that the Indonesian government is committed to protecting Aditya. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Consulate General in Chicago will continue to provide legal assistance to ensure AWH's rights are fulfilled in the legal process in the U.S.," he said.
Earlier, the federal immigration authorities of the United States (US) arrested an Indonesian student in Minnesota in the basement of a hospital a few days after his student visa was revoked.
As reported by Newsweek on Monday, Aditya Harsono, who lived in Marshall and worked as a hospital supply chain manager, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 27.
The 33-year-old Indonesian man had been living legally in the United States until March 23, when his visa was suddenly revoked. Currently, he is detained in the Kandiyohi County Jail.
"What is particularly troubling about the circumstances surrounding Mr. Harsono's arrest is that his employers, who held him in such high regard, were essentially coerced into staging a meeting in the hospital basement solely to facilitate ICE's apprehension of him," said family attorney Sarah Gad to Newsweek.
Since the beginning of Trump's second term, thousands of migrants have been arrested. Under the Trump administration, ICE has been granted broader authority in law enforcement, including the right to conduct raids in hospitals and other vulnerable locations.
Sita Planasari and Savero Aristia Wienanto contributed to the writing of this article.
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