You Chen Yang, a 56-year-old Chinese man who owned a restaurant in Perry, New York, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on July 14. His family thought he was going in for a normal immigration check-in, but instead, he was detained, according to local news station WHAM-TV.
Yang has lived in Wyoming County for 30 years and was trying to get a green card when he was arrested at the local immigration office.
Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE for comments.
Why This Is Important
President Donald Trump has focused on deporting many undocumented immigrants, especially those with violent criminal records. Since he became president again in January, immigration enforcement has increased. But recent polls show some Americans are unhappy with these policies because people without serious crimes are also being targeted.
The Trump administration said they deported about 100,000 illegal immigrants in the first months of his second term. Many were deported using an old law called the Alien Enemies Act from 1798, which some judges have criticized or blocked.
What Happened to Yang
According to ICE Buffalo, Yang was arrested because of a removal order from 2002 issued by an immigration judge. ICE said Yang had his legal chance to fight but didn’t leave the country for over 20 years. Even though he had this order, Yang kept in touch with immigration by checking in regularly and had a work permit.
Yang’s daughter, Elizabeth, told WHAM-TV that her father had recently passed the first step in applying for his green card.
“He asked his lawyer, and the lawyer said, ‘It’s OK, you should be fine,’ since he just got approval for the first step,” she said. “So, he thought everything would be fine.”
Yang had stepped down from running his restaurant about a year ago and was working to get permanent legal status. His lawyer told the family that the check-in would be routine and nothing to worry about.
On July 14, Yang got a call asking him to come to the immigration office. His family was shocked because they expected a normal check-in, like before.
What ICE Said
ICE Buffalo said, “ICE arrested You Chen Yang on July 14 because of a removal order from 2002. He has had his legal chance and stayed in the country illegally for more than 20 years.”
They added, “Under President Trump and DHS Secretary Noem, ICE focuses on removing illegal immigrants who threaten our communities and those with final removal orders. Yang is being held while his removal is arranged.”
Elizabeth Yang said, “The immigration office usually asks him to come in or calls for interviews to check on him. We thought this was just a normal check-in.”
What’s Next
Yang is now being held at an ICE detention center in Batavia, New York. His family stays in touch by phone and visits him sometimes. They are working with a lawyer to try to fix the situation and find possible solutions.
