ICE arrests UC Berkeley student at San Francisco airport over immigration status

A University of California Berkeley student was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at San Francisco International Airport, KRON4 reported. The 23-year-old student, Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez, is a Colombian citizen who has lived in the United States since 2022.

ICE detained Hernandez on October 30 when she attempted to board a flight to Portland for a vacation with her boyfriend, according to KRON4. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated she is considered an "illegal alien" due to lacking legal immigration status.

The DHS spokesperson explained that Hernandez entered the U.S. legally on September 6, 2022, with permission to stay until March 6, 2023, but did not leave as required. She remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings and will receive due process.

Federal officials noted that having work authorization or a pending application for legal status does not protect a person from deportation. The DHS spokesperson also said undocumented immigrants can no longer fly within the U.S. unless returning to their home country, reversing a previous policy.

Hernandez's attorneys are contesting her detention and seeking her immediate release. They argue she fled Colombia due to gender-based persecution, as stated in her legal filings.