University at Buffalo student, Jiaye You, a Chinese international student, was recently arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and is currently held in an immigration detention center in Louisiana. Efforts are underway to secure his release.
In an official statement released by the State University of Buffalo on March 18, the university confirmed that Jiaye You was detained earlier this month after reporting to court in the New York City area.
The university is in contact with Jiaye’s family and private attorney to provide appropriate and timely assistance and support. The statement mentioned, “The school hopes that this matter can be resolved quickly so that Jiaye You can return to school to complete his studies.”
According to information provided by the university, Jiaye You enrolled in 2022 as a senior majoring in Fine Arts; he attended Queens High School for Language Studies in high school.
The reason for Jiaye’s arrest is currently unclear.
According to NY1, on Wednesday (18th), Jiaye You called his parents from the ICE detention center in New Jersey at 2 a.m. to inform them that he would be transferred to Louisiana. He was supposed to complete his graduation thesis and prepare to graduate with his classmates. Just the Monday before his arrest, he was in class preparing for his thesis presentation.
An online fundraising campaign initiated by Jiaye’s art professor, Matt Kenyon, on GoFundMe had raised over $25,000 as of the afternoon of the 20th, to cover emergency legal expenses, including an expected $15,000 bail hearing and immigration case costs, as well as around $30,000 for bail.
The professor wrote on the fundraising page, “Jiaye You is an important member of our community. He is a diligent and scholarly student, a thoughtful artist, and his classmates and professors care deeply about him. His absence is deeply regrettable. His family is anxious, and we are making every effort to support him and help him return to campus to complete his academic pursuits.”
New York State Senator Jeremy Zellner and Assemblyman Jon Rivera have both issued statements calling for the release of Jiaye You.