Dian Zhao Lin, a father of six and restaurant owner, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Mount Morris, New York.

On Oct. 20, Dian Zhao Lin was arrested by ICE as he was heading to work. Lin has owned and operated a restaurant in Mount Morris for over 20 years, over which both he and his establishment came to be known as community staples. Several of his children are Binghamton University students and alumni.

“A lot of people assume that just because he was detained, that he must have done something wrong, or that you know he’s not supposed to be here, but I think that it’s unfortunate that he’s been here for over two decades, and all he wants to do is provide for his wife, his six daughters, and just serve food to the community,” Holly Lin, Dian Zhao Lin’s daughter and a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, told Pipe Dream in an interview. “And it’s unfortunate that everything is overlooked just because of an unfortunate event.”

Last week, several videos circulated online where Dian Zhao Lin could be seen being forced into a vehicle by two ICE agents when he was detained.

“Whatever the ICE officers asked him to do, he did,” said Holly Lin. “He just followed the instructions, and they still used unneeded force, and that really hurt.”

On Oct. 29, BU’s chapter of United University Professionals held a rally in support of Dian Zhao Lin as well as another ICE detainee, German Machado, on the steps of the University Union.

Machado was employed at SUNY Brockport before being arrested by ICE. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for the release of both Machado and Dian Zhao Lin in an X post made on Oct. 22.

Hochul said in the post that she spoke with Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin about the arrests and would “continue pushing for their swift return.”

Dian Zhao Lin’s daughters, Holly Lin and Yujin Lin ‘26, were present at the rally. Holly Lin gave a speech explaining her father’s crucial role in her family and their community, as well as how the rest of her family was impacted by her father’s detainment.

“It’s incredibly devastating knowing that my 16-year-old sister is experiencing all of this while trying to navigate high school,” Holly Lin said. “She has to put on a strong face, having to pretend that everything is okay when it isn’t. She’s making sacrifices that no child of her age should have to make, even if it means cancelling plans and missing out on simple childhood experiences, like going trick-or-treating on Halloween.”

Several candidates in the upcoming elections were present at the rally, including current Democratic candidate for Broome County Sheriff Matt Ryan and Democratic candidate for New York State Assembly 123rd District Dan Norton.

Ryan previously criticized current Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar, for filing a joint lawsuit against Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James over the “Local Cops, Local Crimes” Act. “Local Cops, Local Crimes” discontinued all existing 287(g) agreements in New York state, meaning local New York police can no longer carry out some functions of a federal immigration agent.

“I got involved in running for sheriff precisely for this reason,” said Ryan. “We can’t have this happening to our communities. It’s happening all over the place. I saw it happen about a month ago on Riverside Drive. I immediately went to the Stop & Shop there and talked to the owner. He says, ‘These men that were taken away this morning are some of the finest people I know. They’re working hard to support their families.’”

According to a statement by the Department of Homeland Security, Dian Zhao Lin entered the United States from China without proper documentation in 1998. On Nov. 29, 1999, an immigration judge ordered him removed from the country. Within the last decade, he filed a motion to reopen the case, according to Holly Lin. The Board of Immigration Appeals denied his motion to reopen on July 26, 2023.

The DHS also said that having work authorization or an immigration application does not grant legal status to an individual.

Dian Zhao Lin’s family and supporters have created a petition to advocate for his release. To date, it has 8,698 signatures.

Christina Zawerucha ‘05, the project manager of Humans of ICE and lecturer and conversation pairs coordinator at BU’s English Language Institute, wrote a statement to Pipe Dream about Lin’s arrest. Humans of ICE is a humanitarian project that works to share the stories of ICE detainees in the Broome County Jail.

“First, our hearts go out to the Lin family, and the entire village of Mount Morris that is struggling with the disappearance of their community member,” Zawerucha wrote in a statement. “From what I’ve read, Mr. Lin has made some important contributions to his adopted home in the US. He has been running a much-needed business, paying taxes, and raising valedictorians, helping make New York State a better place. He had active working papers, a pending immigration application, and no criminal record.”

“This new administration’s interpretation of immigration law is so narrow that it is causing severe disruptions in the lives and economies of people living in NYS, and if not stopped could reshape the face of America,” she continued. “Now is the time for us to stand up for our neighbors.”