UCLA student detained at U.S.-Mexico border

A student enrolled at UCLA was detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection early Thursday morning while attempting to reenter the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to university advocates and student organizers.

The student, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was reportedly stopped during a routine immigration check and taken into federal custody. Supporters say the individual is being held in detention at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The circumstances surrounding the detention remain unclear, including what prompted the CBP to detain the student. News of the incident spread quickly through the UCLA campus, prompting an emergency rally organized by student groups and immigration advocates. 

Demonstrators are expected to gather at 5 p.m. Thursday outside Murphy Hall, the university’s main administrative building, to call on UCLA leadership to intervene and to demand the student’s immediate release.

In the previous month, several universities have put out statements warning international students of the risks that may be associated with traveling out of the country. As heightened scrutiny at the border has intensified, reports of detainment of legal residents, individuals with working and student visas, and even U.S. citizens 

UCLA administration has yet to issue a formal statement on the incident.