Johan Sandoval, a 21‑year‑old rising senior at Savannah State University, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers early on a Saturday morning in Batavia, New York.
According to his girlfriend Adriana Wade, agents arrived at his family home around 6:30 a.m., forced entry and escorted him away. Wade described the scene as abrupt and unnecessary, emphasizing that Sandoval is not a criminal but a student focused on completing his business administration degree and contributing to the baseball team.
University Response
Savannah State University, citing federal privacy statutes, declined to comment on Sandoval’s case, a stance that reflects the institution’s broader policy of limiting public disclosures in matters involving student records.
The episode also shines a light on the small but growing community of international students at the university, which enrolls nearly 3,500 students, about 2 % of whom hail from countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Canada, South Korea, Ukraine and France.