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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

LIFE & ARTS Annual parade, festival draws in hundreds to celebrate Hispanic heritage across Bryan-College Station A3

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SPORTS Last-drive delight results in first ranked road win since 2014 as Texas A&M fells Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana B2

Photo courtesy of REUTERS/Octavio Jones

An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle is parked outside the Cook County Courthouse, where Fox News was doing a ride-along on their operations in Chicago, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an increased federal law enforcement presence and immigration enforcement actions by the Department of Homeland Security, in Chicago, U.S., September 8, 2025.

Aggie researcher detained by ICE Texas A&M graduate student Tae Heung “Will” Kim continues to be held in ICE custody By Julia Kazda News Editor It began after a wedding. A time meant for celebration and unity was stained with the juxtaposition of separation. Tae Heung “Will” Kim, a 40-year-old doctoral student at Texas A&M and a green card holder since the age of five, was detained by ICE at the San Francisco International Airport on July 21 while returning from his brother’s wedding in South Korea. Kim’s detainment was based on a misdemeanor marijuana charge from 2011. However, according to his attorney, Eric Lee, in an article by the Washington Post, Kim completed the appropriate community service for the misdemeanor and successfully petitioned for nondisclosure to seal the offense from public record. Because of this, according to a statement from another of Kim’s attorneys, Karl Krooth, he is unsure as to why Kim — a legal permanent resident with a green card — was detained. “We have been working to gather complete and accurate information about Mr.

Kim’s situation and will closely monitor the case as it moves through the legal system,” an A&M university official stated when asked about Kim’s status. Young Woon Han, organizing director for NAKASEC, the National Korean American Service & Education Consortium, and Rachel Koelzer, the communications director for both NAKASEC and Adoptees for Justice, have both taken a role in Kim’s case, as it aligns with the organization’s goal of achieving economic justice. “It turned out that Will had a previous misdemeanor case that could possibly trigger [Customs and Border Patrol] to detain him,” Han said. “But for the first eight days that he was in San Francisco, we had no idea why they were detaining him, which is highly illegal. One day, the regulation, the typical length of stay at the secondaries cannot exceed 72 hours. And Will was there. I think he was released on the ninth day to ICE custody.” Life in custody While in custody, Kim was not granted the detention rights of a United States citizen. Rather than being given a cell, he was placed in office-like spaces with the lights on at all times. He was purposely moved from room to room, even to different states, and kept away from daylight for the purpose of

weakening his sense of time, according to Han after being in contact with Kim’s family. “He had to sleep either on the floor or on a, you know, like put together chairs,” Han said. “Had to eat concession stand food for nine days. And then eventually he was transferred to, he was, I mean, you know, tossed around a few times. He was in Florence, Arizona. And then he went to Los Fresno and eventually he’s now in Raymondville, Texas.” According to the Sixth Amendment, all U.S. citizens have the right to a lawyer and a speedy trial. Because of Kim’s possession of a green card, this right is protected under the veil of his citizenship. However, Han says that Kim is not being granted this right, according to his attorney. “Will’s attorney called CBP, talked to CBP supervisor and explicitly asked him if Will would be covered under U.S. Constitution,” Han said. “The supervisor said no, which is illegal. So just a wide range of problems, due process issues here.” ‘I don’t know if this is how Aggies are treating their family’ “I came to this country with my children believing in the American promise of freedom and equality,” Kim’s mother, Sharon Lee, said in a statement. “My children know no home but the U.S., Tae Heung should

not be punished or treated unjustly simply because of a mistake he made or because he is not a citizen.” Despite this observed frustration, some members of the campus were hesitant to take immediate action. According to Han, an A&M faculty advisor was initially willing to talk to NAKASEC and the press, but the university council urged against speaking publicly. “For God’s sake, Will has been a student of A&M since he was undergrad,” Han said. “And I think you guys are called Aggies? I heard Aggies are family. I don’t know if this is how Aggies are treating their family.” The AAUP, American Association of University Professors, is an organization of academic professionals bonded by the intention of retaining quality of life for faculty and graduate students. Because of this shared mission, Han and Koelzer reached out to several members in Texas. The AAUP from other Texas universities sent a letter to A&M President Mark A. Welsh III regarding Kim’s case in the hopes of support, but there has been no response.

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Interim dean named by Provost Simon North, Ph.D., to lead College of Arts and Sciences with search for permanent dean to commence this fall

By Hilani Quinones Associate News Editor Simon North, Ph.D., and professor of chemistry has been appointed interim dean effective immediately following President Mark A. Welsh’s III removal of Dean Mark

Zoran from administrative duties, according to an email to students from Provost and Executive Vice President Alan Sams. Zoran’s removal came in response to a viral video showing Professor Melissa McCoul addressing gender identity in an upper-division summer session children’s literature course. North has served as executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since June 2024 and has been the head of the Department of Chemistry since August 2016 after serving as interim head of the department previously. He joined the Texas A&M faculty in 1997 and is also currently co-director of

the National Aerothermochemistry Laboratory and a former associate director of the Center for Atmospheric Chemistry and the Environment. North also previously served as one of the primary advising and recruiting contacts for the A&M chemistry graduate program, playing a lead role in developing the Instructional Laboratory & Innovative Learning Building, which showcases undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratories including general chemistry and organic chemistry. According to Sams’ letter, the university will launch a search for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences this fall.

Samuel Falade — THE BATTALION

An aerial view of the Academic Building on Monday, March 11, 2024.