Indonesian man in US married to American woman arrested after visa revoked without warning

An Indonesian man in the U.S. was arrested by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Mar. 27, four days after his student visa was revoked without warning.

Aditya Harsono, 33, was arrested at the basement of a hospital where he worked, Fox9 and The Guardian reported.

"Not just a student visa holder"

Aditya came to the U.S. in 2015 under a student visa to study at Southwest Minnesota State University and married a U.S. citizen in October 2023.

His student visa was reportedly valid through June 2026, and he is in the process of obtaining a green card, which would allow him to live in the U.S. permanently.

"Aditya is not just a student visa holder— he's a husband, a father, and a vital part of our family," his wife, Peyton Harsono, wrote on the family's GoFundMe page.

Both Aditya and his wife have an 8-month-old daughter with special needs.

According to Peyton, Aditya's visa revocation "was based on a misdemeanour conviction from 2022, along with being arrested for a curfew violation during the George Floyd protest".

"We fear his political activism played a role in targeting him," said Peyton.

Humanitarian relief for Gaza

Aditya regularly expresses support for humanitarian relief for Gaza on his social media.

He also operates a non-profit selling art and merchandise, with proceeds going to organisations aiding Gaza.

"There seems to be this trend recently where international students who have engaged in some type of activism or expressed, you know, political speech or have expressed, you know, support for Palestine— something along those liens— their student visas get revoked," said Aditya's attorney Sarah Gad, as quoted by Fox9.

According to Gad, on the day of Aditya's arrest, two ICE agents dressed in plain clothes had shown up at the hospital where he worked and told the staff to stage a fake meeting in the basement so they could arrest the 33-year-old.

Aditya was handcuffed and detained after walking into the basement, according to Gad. He was also reportedly interrogated for hours.

"Our lives have turned upside down"

Aditya is currently detained in Kandiyohi County Jail, according to The Guardian, citing an ICE detainee locator.

The judge initially granted Aditya a bond on Apr. 10, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) immediately filed a notice to appeal the bond decision, triggering an automatic stay and forcing Aditya to remain in custody.

Gad said that this type of move is rare and is usually observed when a bond is granted to someone charged with a violent or serious crime.

"Our lives have been turned upside down," Peyton said on the family GoFundMe page.

"This has been deeply traumatic for all of us, especially [our daughter]."

Peyton said that the family are in danger of losing their apartment, no longer has health insurance, and is engulfed in bills and necessities needed when caring for a baby.

Crackdown

Aditya's case comes amid reports of a crackdown on foreign students living in the U.S..

In recent weeks, many foreign students in the U.S.— reportedly more than 1,000— were detained and had their visas revoked, according to the BBC.

Many of these students were reportedly targeted due to their involvement in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses.

Top image via GoFundMe