A Turkish graduate student from the University of Minnesota is seeking legal intervention for his release from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The student, Do?ukan Günayd?n, 28, alleges his recent arrest breached his rights and was carried out with insufficient explanation.
Günayd?n was detained on the street outside his St. Paul residence while en route to class, reportedly by two plainclothes federal officers. According to the lawsuit filed on his behalf, the encounter left Günayd?n fearing for his safety, initially thinking he was being kidnapped when one of the officers, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt, restrained him in handcuffs.
The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement that aligns partially with the lawsuit’s claims, noting Günayd?n’s arrest stemmed from a previous drunken driving conviction. The federal agency clarified that his detention was not related to any political matters. Günayd?n’s legal petition argues that he has not engaged in any protest activities or politically motivated writings.
Officials from both the Justice and State Departments, along with Günayd?n’s lawyer, Hannah Brown, have yet to provide comments on the situation. The arrest has sparked demands for clarification from Minnesota leaders, including Governor Tim Walz and U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith. Governor Walz expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, emphasizing the counterproductive nature of targeting students who are legally present in the U.S. to pursue education.
Günayd?n had been residing in the U.S. on a student visa until the Department of Homeland Security revoked it on the day of his arrest. The lawsuit argues this action was unlawful. It claims that after his arrest, he was held for several hours without being informed of the reasons, except for a statement that his F-1 visa was “retroactively revoked.”
The petition highlights online records indicating that his visa was not actually canceled until about seven hours after his arrest, with the cited reason being “otherwise failing to maintain status.” It suggests that authorities have not met any legal criteria for terminating his student visa, arguing that a past drunken driving offense is not valid grounds for such action.
Günayd?n’s legal team acknowledges the June 2023 arrest for drunken driving, noting his guilty plea and compliance with the sentence imposed, including community service in lieu of additional jail time, and the settlement of court fines and fees. However, the petition stresses he has no other crimes on his record apart from a speeding violation in 2021.
Following his conviction, Günayd?n was accepted into the Carlson School of Business at the university, earning a scholarship and maintaining excellent academic performance. His legal representatives assert that he has committed no offense warranting termination of his student status or deportation.
Presently detained in Sherburne County Jail, Günayd?n was informed of an upcoming immigration court appearance scheduled for April 8. However, the lawsuit claims he has yet to receive a charging document or official notice for the hearing, leaving his legal team uninformed about the exact reasons for his detention.
The petition is requesting the court to order Günayd?n’s immediate release, acknowledge the illegality of his arrest and detention, and restore his student status. His attorney contends that his ongoing detention could suppress his freedom of speech and discourage others in similar situations.
Court documents reveal that Günayd?n was apprehended in Minneapolis in 2023 after authorities observed erratic driving behavior. His blood alcohol concentration was recorded at 0.20%, significantly exceeding the legal limit of 0.08%. He admitted guilt to a gross misdemeanor for drunken driving, culminating in four days of confinement, community service instead of more jail time, and the fulfillment of financial penalties.
In his plea agreement, which was signed by both Günayd?n and his attorney, he acknowledged the possibility of deportation due to his non-citizen status.