Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Calls for Release of Yaakub Vijandre from Unlawful Detention

 Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC Calls for Release of Yaakub Vijandre from Unlawful Detention 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On October 7, 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unlawfully arrested and detained Yaakub Vijandre at gunpoint, a Filipino American advocate and photojournalist. Vijandre is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who has lived in the United States lawfully since 2001. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has justified his detainment and attempt to revoke Vijandre’s DACA status on the sole basis of social media posts that were critical of the United States government and his pro-Palestinian activism – a violation of Vijandre’s First Amendment rights. 

 

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC) issues the following statement in response to the unfolding situation:  

 

“Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC condemns the unlawful detainment and arrest of Yaakub Vijandre and urge DHS to release him immediately. Vijandre has broken no laws and his DACA status does not expire until May 2026. Until the termination becomes final, the government lacks the legal authority to deport or detain him.  

 

“Unfortunately, Vijandre’s situation is not an isolated event. It is part of an alarming trend of the administration’s attempts to silence dissent, as seen in the cases of Rümeysa Öztürk, Mahmoud Khalil and Yunseo Chung. These young activists, and many others who have gone unnamed, were targeted with immigration enforcement for their political views, which are protected under the First Amendment. This mistreatment at the hands of the government have disproportionately affected communities of color, including Asian Americans, due to their immigration statuses. 

 

“This ongoing pattern of detentions, deportations and visa revocations based on political expression and without due process is extremely troubling. Such actions jeopardize our shared democracy. We stand with Yakuub Vijandre and urge lawmakers to denounce the criminalization of free speech, especially through violent immigration enforcement tactics.”