After five days, at least two prayer rallies, and one diocese’s persistent call to correct what it called an act of injustice, Yeonsoo Go—daughter of the Rev. Kyrie Kim of the Diocese of New York—was released from ICE custody on the night of August 4.
Video journalist Sandi Bachom captured the moment when the 20-year-old South Korean citizen, who is in the United States on a valid, unexpired visa, walked out of the Federal Plaza in New York City’s Financial District.
Kim and members of her family were mouthing “Oh my God. Oh my God” at the sight of Go behind the glass doors. Speaking to broadcast channel Pix 11, Go said: “I’m just so grateful for the support.” She added that “everything just feels surreal” and the reality of her experience has yet to sink in.
Asked how she was treated while in custody, she referred to her lawyer for further comment.
“I’m just so grateful for every support … and everyone fighting for this case,” Kim said, still in tears. “There’s more who we need to support.”
Bishop Matthew Heyd of New York, who has been calling for Go’s release and spoke at the August 2 and 4 rallies as well as to the media about the case, referred to the development as “Prayers answered.” He continued to urge “dignity, compassion, and care to be at the center of our immigration system and our courts.”
On July 31, after attending a routine in-person hearing for a visa extension in a Manhattan courtroom, Go was detained by ICE officials. In a widely circulated statement to the media, a Department of Homeland Security official said the Purdue University student—on a visa granted to dependents of religious workers—“overstayed her visa that expired more than two years ago.”
The claim contradicts Go’s actual permit to stay, as her visa is valid until December 2025.
A report by The Washington Post, citing ICE records, noted that Go was placed in federal detention at Richwood Correctional Center in Louisiana before her release.
Kim is the first woman ordained to the priesthood in the Anglican Church of Korea’s Diocese of Seoul. She serves as a missioner for the Diocese of New York’s Asian Ministries.
Caleb Maglaya Galaraga is The Living Church’s Episcopal Church reporter. His work has also appeared in Christianity Today, Broadview Magazine, and Presbyterian Outlook, among other publications.
