ndsmcobserver An undergraduate student at the University of Notre Dame, Mark Mikhail, was arrested Saturday in California by federal immigration agents. Mikhail is “in ICE custody” at the Desert View Annex in Adelanto, California, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee locator on ICE.gov. Hani Bushra, a lawyer for Mikhail, wrote in a statement to The Observer that Mikhail was still in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. Born in Egypt and living in California since August 2023, Mikhail enrolled at the University last year and now resides in O’Neill Family Hall. He is pursuing a bachelor’s in biological sciences and theology and is involved in multiple faith and research groups on campus. Bushra wrote that Mikhail’s arrest was tied to the family’s application for asylum, based on historical persecution of Coptic Orthodox Christians in Egypt that continues today. “While filing the application allows the person to remain lawfully in the U.S., it does not confer legal status. This is the loophole that ICE used to justify Mark’s arrest,” Bushra wrote. “It did not matter to the ICE officers that he was a young man who worked hard to integrate into the U.S. and had no prior encounters with the law.” The family, including Mikhail, was able to obtain work permits — an Employment Authorization Document that proves “you are authorized to work in the United States for a specific time period” — while awaiting judgment by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. According to Bushra, Mikhail’s EAD has not expired. Written by Gray Nocjar Read the full story at the news link in our bio View all 79 comments