A 33-year-old Indonesian man, Aditya Wahyu Harsono, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 27 after his student visa was suddenly revoked without prior notice. Harsono, a supply chain manager at a hospital in Marshall, was arrested in a staged operation by plainclothes ICE agents at his workplace.
According to his attorney, Sanaa Gad, Harsono was unaware that his F-1 student visa had been voided. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) retroactively canceled the visa, citing a 2022 misdemeanor conviction for graffiti. The offense involved spray-painting a semi-truck trailer, for which Harsono paid $100 in restitution.
Despite the minor nature of the conviction, Immigration Judge Sarah Mazzie denied a motion to dismiss the deportation case on humanitarian grounds during a Saturday hearing. Deportation proceedings will now continue, with Harsono’s next court date set for May 1.
His arrest has sparked criticism from advocates and his legal team. Gad accused the DHS of “weaponising the immigration system” and noted that Harsono’s wife, Peyton — a US citizen and mother of their infant child with special needs — has been in “shock and exhaustion” since the incident.
Hospital staff reportedly lured Harsono to a fake meeting in the basement, where he was handcuffed and detained without warning. He was taken to Kandiyohi County Jail, where he remains in custody.
Harsono’s visa was valid until June 2026, and he has a pending green card application through marriage. According to Gad, the visa still appeared active as of March 28 — a day after his arrest.
In court filings, DHS also cited a 2021 arrest during a protest after George Floyd’s murder — a charge that was later dismissed. Gad argues that neither incident qualifies as grounds for deportation under U.S. immigration law and emphasized that Harsono has traveled internationally since his 2022 conviction without issue.
Harsono, a practicing Muslim, is also known for his vocal support of Gaza on social media and runs a nonprofit that donates proceeds from art sales to Palestinian aid organizations.