Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained 23‑year‑old UC Berkeley student Paula Valentina Albornoz Hernandez at San Francisco International Airport on Friday as she prepared to travel to Portland for a weekend trip with her boyfriend.
Detention details
According to agency records, Albornoz Hernandez is being held at the California City Detention Center. Attorneys from Centro Legal de la Raza have filed a habeas corpus petition challenging the detention, arguing that ICE officers failed to present a warrant and did not assess whether she posed a flight risk.
Albornoz Hernandez arrived in the United States from Colombia in 2022, overstayed her visa and subsequently applied for asylum, citing severe gender‑based violence in her home country. Her asylum application remains pending, and she holds a valid work permit. She transferred from San Jose City College to UC Berkeley, where she is a business administration major conducting research on artificial intelligence.
Campus response
University officials and students quickly mobilized in support of the detained student. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons called Albornoz Hernandez “one of our outstanding students” and urged the court to allow her to resume her studies. The university’s spokesperson, Aileen Zerrudo, said the arrest appears to be the first ICE detention of an active UC Berkeley student since the Trump administration intensified deportation efforts.
Managing attorney Niko De Bremaeker of Centro Legal de la Raza noted that Albornoz Hernandez has no criminal record and has complied with all immigration requirements to date. “She was very much known to the government, she had been complying at every step, and she is excelling within the community,” he said.
ICE and DHS statements
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson confirmed the arrest and stated that Albornoz Hernandez entered the country on September 6, 2022, with legal permission to stay until March 6, 2023, and “did not depart in defiance of our nation’s laws.” The spokesperson also asserted that ICE agents identified themselves as law enforcement, contrary to the boyfriend’s claim.
When asked why ICE would detain someone with a pending asylum claim and a work permit, the spokesperson replied that “work authorization or a pending application does NOT confer legal status in the United States.”
Broader context
ICE has increased arrests at San Francisco International Airport and other airports since the summer, targeting individuals who have overstayed visas. A recent San Francisco Chronicle investigation found that ICE agents have also held green‑card holders in windowless airport rooms for days.
Albornoz Hernandez’s hearing before an immigration judge is scheduled for November 17. The habeas petition seeks her release and aims to prevent future detention without a demonstrated flight risk or danger to the community.
Community impact
Friends and classmates have been notifying professors to keep her coursework on track, while the Alameda County Immigration Legal Education Partnership advises anyone with uncertain immigration status to avoid air travel without legal counsel. Her boyfriend, Anthony, described her as “hyper‑responsible” and hopes the upcoming hearing will lead to her swift release so she can continue her studies at Berkeley.
Original reporting: 40/29 / KHBS (NW Arkansas) — read the source article.
