Today, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), led by Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06) and Rep. Dave Min (CA-47), along with 14 other Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) members of Congress, sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The letter was addressed to Secretary Kristi Noem, Commissioner Scott, and Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Todd M. Lyons.
The letter demands answers regarding the Trump administration’s treatment of lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and other immigrants with lawful status who are of Asian descent. It cites multiple reports of detentions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and ICE that appear to violate constitutional rights, including access to legal counsel and due process.
Over the past several months, reports have emerged of AAPI individuals being detained without clear justification. The letter highlights several specific cases. One involves Tae Heung “Will” Kim, a lawful permanent resident and PhD candidate at Texas A&M University, who was detained for nearly a week upon returning from a family trip to South Korea. He was denied contact with his family and legal counsel.
Another case involves Yeonsoo Go, a 20-year-old Purdue University student who was detained by ICE after a routine visa hearing, despite her attorney stating her visa was valid through 2025. Similarly, Mrs. Lewelyn Dixon, a laboratory technician at the University of Washington Medical Center, and Mr. Maximo Londonio, a union member, were both arrested and transferred to ICE custody for several months after trips to the Philippines.
The letter also mentions a Vietnamese father from Garden Grove, California, who was detained for over a month following a routine check-in, and Ms. Yunseo Chung, a South Korean student at Columbia University, who has been fighting deportation for exercising her First Amendment rights at a campus protest.
The lawmakers assert that these cases suggest potential violations of constitutional protections. The letter emphasizes that the U.S. Constitution guarantees due process protections to all persons within the United States, regardless of immigration status. For example, the Fifth Amendment guarantees due process protections against actions by the federal government, while the Sixth Amendment ensures the right to legal counsel in criminal prosecutions.
The letter notes that the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that LPRs are entitled to these same protections. Furthermore, the lawmakers state that CBP appears to have violated its own National Standards on Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search (TEDS), which dictates that individuals should generally not be held for longer than 72 hours.
In the letter, the lawmakers request responses to several questions by August 22, 2025. They ask for data on the number of U.S. citizens and LPRs detained by CBP or ICE since January 20, 2025, broken down by nationality, legal status, and duration of detention.
They also ask what percentage of total detentions involved individuals of Asian ancestry, and how many of those detainees were denied access to legal counsel. Other questions concern the detention of students, faculty, or researchers, the reasons for detaining individuals beyond the 72-hour limit, and the legal grounds CBP has for denying detainees access to legal counsel.
Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
