Indonesian father faces possible deportation after secret visa revocation

An Indonesian man is now facing possible deportation as he remains detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after agents secretly revoked his student visa and arrested him at his Minnesota workplace on March 27.

Aditya Harsono, 33, came to the U.S. from Indonesia in 2015 on a student visa and earned three degrees, including an MBA from Southwest Minnesota State University. He was working as a supply chain manager at a Marshall hospital when ICE agents allegedly lured him to the basement and arrested him without warning.

The Department of Homeland Security cited a 2022 misdemeanor graffiti conviction as grounds for revoking his visa four days before his arrest, calling him a “public safety threat.” Federal officials also referenced his 2021 arrest at a George Floyd protest, though those charges were dismissed “in the interest of justice.”

Harsono’s wife, Peyton, said her husband is being portrayed as a “horrible, dangerous person.” The couple shares an 8-month-old daughter, Adalet, who recognizes her father on phone calls. Since her husband’s detention and termination from work, Peyton has become the family’s sole provider. Amid their plight, she set up a GoFundMe page to ask the public for help.

“I am struggling to provide for her [their daughter] while enduring this overwhelming emotional and financial burden on my own,” Peyton wrote. “We are in danger of losing our apartment, no longer have health insurance, along with other bills and necessities that are needed when caring for a baby.”

Harsono’s case is part of a broader trend targeting international students. Over 900 students at 128 universities have reportedly seen their visas revoked or their legal status terminated since last month.

Immigration Judge Sarah Mazzie recently rejected a motion to terminate Harsono’s case on humanitarian grounds. He remains in Kandiyohi County jail awaiting his next hearing on May 1.