Rutgers student released on bond by ICE
Nigerian national was six months from degree
By: Mary Ann Koruth
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... A Rutgers University graduate student detained off-campus by federal immigration agents in east Orange early this year [2026] was released on bond on May 6, [2026] the university said.
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Joesph Adetola was six months away from completing his master's degree in engineering, says a GoFundMe campaign started by a friend after his arrest on March 18. [2026] Federal officials notified the university about Adetola's arrest in East Orange, and of his subsequent release, university spokesperson Megan Florance said in a email.
..... The fundraiser, titled "Help bring Joseph Adetola back home," has raised more than $9,000 out of a $11,000 goal. It shows a smiling man in a white T-shirt and beanie and was set up by Diana Kulanusorstit.
..... "I had the privilege of working alongside Joseph as a brand ambassador, where I saw firsthand his professionalism, kindness, and strong work ethic. He is reliable, respectful, and someone who truly shows up for others," Kulanustorsit wrote in the introduction.
..... "Joseph is just six months away from completing his master's degree - something he has worked incredibly hard to achieve. To see his future put on hold so suddenly has been devastating for all of us who know and care about him," it says.
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Attempts to contact Kulanusorstit and Anjum Gupta, director of the Immigrant Rights Clinic at Rutgers, were unsuccessful.
..... Department of Homeland Security officials told university police that they were not on school grounds when Adetola was detained, Florance's email said. "federal authorities advised Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) that the enforcement action did not occur on Rutgers property and that no feral enforcement activity has taken place on university campuses in connection with the matter," she told NorthJersey.com .
..... Adetola, is from Nigeria and overstayed an exchange visa, a Homeland Security spokesperson said.
..... "Joseph Opeyemi Adetola entered the United States on June 21, 2022, on an exchange visa that was only valid until September 30, 2022," the spokesperson said. he was arrested for overstaying his visa, and for "violation of federal immigration laws." Adetola will receive "full due process, and all of his claims will be heard by an immigration judge," Homeland Security said.
..... Immigration enforcement actions have escalated under President Donald Trump's crackdown and mass deportation platform, affecting both undocumented people and legally admitted foreign students with visas. Rutgers is directing students who encounter immigration and Customs Enforcement or need help adversing concerns about being arrested and deported to the Rutgers Immigrant Community Assistance Project.
..... "Students with immigration-related concerns may seek free and confidential legal consultations through the Rutgers Immigrant Community Assistance Project, which offers immigration guidance and support tailored to Rutgers students, " Florance said.
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"The university has been in communications with the student's representative," she said.
..... Adetola's arrest and release came amid calls for the university to take a public stand against ICE enforcement on campus.
..... Students, faculty and community members chanted anti-ICE slogans, demanding that the university declare a "sanctuary" campus, off-limits for ICE enforcement, at two recent Board of Governors public meetings.
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The faculty union, the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers, in March [2026] held a virtual "teach-in" titled "breaking Rutgers ties to ICE," at which speakers urged the university to sever corporate ties to rental car companies and hotel chains used by ICE.
..... "At times like these we can feel extremely depressed and powerless, and coming together is one of the ways that we can change things around," said Eric Blanc, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Labor and Management Relations, speaking a the teach-in.
..... "Rutgers remains commuted to ensuring that any federal law enforcement activity on university property follows all applicable legal requirements, including appropriate judicial authorization. community members are advised to immediately notify the Rutgers University Police Department if federal mitigation authorities are present on or near campus," the university said.