TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - 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States (US) arrested an Indonesian student in Minnesota in the basement of a hospital a few days after his student visa was revoked.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.
The family chose not to disclose the name of the hospital where Aditya worked, citing concerns about potential negative impact. Aditya was terminated from his position after his arrest.
Newsweek contacted the hospital, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ICE, and the US Department of State for comments.
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation operation in the history of the United States, as his administration seeks to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. The White House has stated that anyone living in the country illegally is considered a "criminal" by the federal government.
Since the beginning of Trump's second term, thousands of migrants have been arrested. Under the Trump administration, ICE has acquired broader authority in law enforcement, including the right to carry out raids in hospitals and other sensitive locations.
Aditya's visa revocation stemmed from a misdemeanor conviction in 2022 for graffiti and arrest during the protests sparked by George Floyd's death under the Black Lives Matter movement. Aditya was charged with unlawful assembly.
Charges related to the protests were later dismissed in the interest of justice, according to documents seen by Newsweek. His family believes that Aditya's past political activism may have influenced the government's decision to revoke his visa.
An immigration judge granted Aditya's release, which gave hope to his family for his release. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now appealed against the decision, making it more difficult to reunite him with his family. His immigration status is currently in the process of adjustment.
"It's just torn us apart, messed our life up for literally no reason, and it's happening to so many families," said his wife, Peyton Harsono, to Newsweek.
The detention has had a profound impact on his family, including his wife and their 8-month-old daughter. Peyton stated that she has experienced severe emotional and financial pressure. She is facing challenges in supporting her household alone after Aditya lost his job while in detention.
"It's been very chaotic and exhausting. I work at a chemical dependency residential treatment center, so I'm constantly taking care of other people 40 hours a week, and then by the time I get home, I'm taking care of her," she said.
She added that it is very sad that her husband did not witness important moments in their daughter's development.
"She's changed so much; she's doing things that she couldn't do when he left, she's saying things that she couldn't say before, and he's missing out on all of it," Peyton said.
Aditya, a devout Muslim, also missed his first Eid celebration with their daughter.
ICE claimed in a letter reviewed by Newsweek that Aditya's visa was revoked because he posed a "threat to U.S. public safety."
The letter also stated that the revocation would be "silent" and that the Department of State would not inform Aditya about the change because of the "ongoing ICE operational security."
"Apparently he was so dangerous that you couldn't give notice to revoke his visa," Peyton scoffed.
Peyton believes that her husband was possibly detained because of his support for Palestine. She said they often talked about it at home.
The family argues that Aditya remains in the US legally due to pending I-130 and I-485 adjustment of status applications, filed before his visa was arbitrarily revoked by the DHS.
The I-130 is a petition to establish qualifying family relationship for a green card, and the I-485 is an application to adjust status to lawful permanent resident. Together, they help eligible immigrants to become lawful permanent residents through a US citizen or qualifying relative's green card holder.
"ICE's decision to revoke his visa without notice and then charge him with 'overstaying' his visa just four days later was a clear attempt to label him as an 'illegal' immigrant," said Gad.
"However, even without his student visa, Mr. Harsono was, and remains, lawfully present in the U.S. due to his pending I-130 and I-485 applications for adjustment of status, which we filed long before his student visa was arbitrarily revoked by DHS."
Aditya is the third student studying at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) whose student visa has been revoked in recent months.
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