An Indonesian student named Aditya Wahyu Harsono is currently in U.S. immigration custody after federal agents arrested him at his workplace. His visa had been secretly cancelled without informing him. A U.S. immigration judge has now ruled that the case will proceed, rejecting a plea to dismiss it on humanitarian grounds.
Arrest at Minnesota Hospital Shocks Family
Harsono, who works as a supply chain manager at a hospital in Marshall, Minnesota, was arrested on March 27. Federal officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained him while he was on duty. His wife Peyton, a U.S. citizen, was alarmed when hospital staff called her. She was told ICE agents had arrived in plain clothes and asked them to lure Harsono into a fake meeting in the hospital basement. That’s where they arrested him.
“He unsuspectedly walks in, smiling, and then they just pull out their handcuffs and forcibly detain him, pushing against the wall, start frisking him and stripping all of his belongings,” said Harsono’s attorney, Sarah Gad.
Visa Revoked Over Minor Past Offense
According to Gad, Harsono’s student visa was valid until June 2026. He also had a pending green card application because he is married to an American. She said that the government revoked his F-1 visa without warning and claimed he had overstayed. The revocation was backdated to March 23, just four days before his arrest. The reason? A 2022 misdemeanor conviction for graffitiing a semi-truck. He had paid $100 in restitution for that charge.
Gad emphasized that this is not a deportable offense under U.S. immigration laws. “The Department of Homeland Security has weaponised the immigration system to serve just an entirely different purpose, which is to instil fear,” she said.
More Allegations Surface Ahead of Bond Hearing
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shared evidence the day before Harsono’s bond hearing. Besides the graffiti charge, they cited a 2021 arrest during a protest over George Floyd’s murder. However, that charge was later dismissed.
Gad also noted Harsono’s background as a Muslim man who supports Gaza. He has posted about it on social media and runs a small nonprofit. This organization sells art and merchandise, with the profits going to aid efforts in Gaza.
Family Under Stress, Next Hearing Scheduled
Harsono’s wife is struggling emotionally since the sudden arrest. “His wife has been in a state of shock and exhaustion,” Gad said. Harsono remains in Kandiyohi County Jail as per ICE records. He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 1.
