University of Minnesota grad student released from custody nearly 2 months after ICE detainment
University of Minnesota graduate student Dogukan Gunaydin, who was detained by immigration agents in late March, was released on Thursday.
According to court documents, a federal judge granted Gunaydin's second amended petition for writ of habeas corpus and ordered his "immediate" release.
Just after 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Gunaydin walked out of the Fort Snelling federal building in St. Paul and addressed the media following his release.
"First of all, I am relieved to be released, but I am deeply troubled and harmed by this clear violation of my constitutional right for due process," Gunaydin said. "It took 56 days to undo something that shouldn't of happened in the first place. Fifty-six days I did not see the sun or the sky."
Gunaydin says he's disappointed in the "integrity of the system and individuals who allowed it to happen." He thanked those who supported him, including his lawyer and her co-counsel.
He also had a message for all international students.
"While there might be some who want to scare us by abusing the power of their office, there are many more who welcome us and fight alongside us to defend our rights," he said.
The 28-year-old Turkish citizen is an MBA student at the Carlson School of Management in Minneapolis and was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in March. Homeland Security officials say Gunaydin's visa was revoked due to a 2023 DWI arrest in Minneapolis and not for being involved in protests.
"The individual in question was arrested after a visa revocation by the State Dept. related to a prior criminal history for a DUI," Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement at the time.
Police dash cam video of the 2023 arrest shows Gunaydin saying he feared deportation after officers told him a breathalyzer test showed he was three times over the legal limit.
News of the student's ICE detention sparked student protests and expressions of concern from university and political leaders.
Federal prosecutors later accused Gunaydin of being a public safety and national security threat, according to court proceedings.
Hannah Brown, Gunaydin's attorney, argued during a bond hearing that he has expressed remorse for the DWI, understands the seriousness of his arrest, and even sold his car as a form of personal punishment so he couldn't drive anymore.
In early May, a judge granted a temporary restraining order against deportation.
