Support Mohammed Hoque's Recovery and Education

On March 28, 20-year-old Mohammed Hoque, a Management Information Systems student at Minnesota State University, Mankato was blindsided and abducted by masked, unidentified ICE agents in the parking lot of his apartment as he returned home from class. Shackled in front of his family, he was taken without explanation and detained at the Freeborn County Jail in Albert Lea for 40 days.

Mohammed’s parents were visiting from Bangladesh to support him through a scheduled abdominal surgery (originally set for April 2). Due to his unexpected and traumatic detention, his surgery was postponed to May 29. During his time in jail, Mohammed suffered severe pain, symptoms of infection, and signs of internal bleeding—but he was denied medical attention.

Imagine witnessing your child who is studying abroad suddenly and violently taken by unidentified agents, locked away, and left in pain without care or due process. This is what Mohammed and his family endured.

“I felt like I was disappearing. My body was failing, I was in pain every day, and I thought I'd never come home again. I thought I'd never see my family again. I was treated like a criminal for being a student and having an opinion. I wouldn't wish that fear on anyone.”

— Mohammed Hoque

Initially, ICE charged Mohammed with three allegations, two of which were eventually dropped in a series of hearings that the family attended during the 40 days. The sole remaining charge is based on his social media posts supporting Palestinian civilians during the Israel-Hamas conflict—posts which are not deportable offenses. On May 5, a U.S. District Judge ruled there was no basis to detain Mohammed, and he was finally released on May 7.

It’s important to note: Mohammed was legally in the U.S. on a valid student visa. ICE has provided no evidence that he engaged in protests or posed any public threat.

Despite his release, Mohammed now faces ongoing removal proceedings, as of May 20. We are extremely grateful to the ACLU, Fredrikson & Byron Law services, and University of Minnesota professor Linus Chan for their pro-bono legal assistance for Hoque.

A group of professors and local clergy formed a task force to advocate for Mohammed and investigate the conditions of his detention. We are also helping raise funds to get him back on track—physically, emotionally, and academically.

Your Support Will Help With:

• Medical expenses not covered by insurance from his delayed surgery and ongoing care

• Counseling and trauma recovery

• Reimbursement for phone bills incurred while detained (over $4,000)

• School-related costs due to missing a semester

While no amount of money can undo the trauma Mohammed has endured, your support can help him heal, resume his education, and remind him that he is not alone.

Please give what you can—and share widely. Let’s show Mohammed and his family that justice, compassion, and community are stronger than fear and cruelty.