WHAT’S TEA? | REAL B
UC Berkeley Student Paula Albornoz Hernandez Detained by ICE at SFO
A planned weekend trip to Portland turned into an immigration detention for 23-year-old Paula Albornoz Hernandez, a Colombian student at the University of California, Berkeley. On October 30, 2026, she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at San Francisco International Airport as she prepared to board a flight with her boyfriend.
According to reporting by KQED and KTVU, Albornoz Hernandez is an asylum seeker who came to the United States from Colombia in 2022. Her attorney says she applied for asylum within the required one-year period, attended her biometric appointments, received work authorization and has no criminal record. He argues that her detention was unlawful and says a habeas corpus petition has been filed in federal court challenging the government’s authority to hold her.
Why ICE says she was detained
The Department of Homeland Security presents a different account. DHS says Albornoz Hernandez entered the United States on September 6, 2022, with permission to remain until March 6, 2023, and did not depart. The department says she will receive due process and remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. A pending asylum application and work authorization do not, by themselves, resolve the legal dispute over her immigration status.
Her attorney disputes the lawfulness of the detention, saying she followed the requirements of her asylum process and had been in contact with federal immigration authorities before the arrest. Those are competing positions in an ongoing legal matter; the court process will determine the legal questions.
Berkeley responds as student misses classes
UC Berkeley Chancellor Richard Lyons told the campus community that the student is a valued member of the university and that campus leadership had mobilized legal support, was in contact with her family and was working to help her return to her studies. Her attorney told KQED that she was missing classes and exams while in custody.
Watch the report
KTVU FOX 2 reported on the detention, including an interview with Paula’s boyfriend and comments from her attorney. Watch the news report below.
If the video player does not load on your device, watch the KTVU report here.
What happens next?
The case raises questions about how immigration enforcement intersects with pending asylum claims, domestic travel and the rights of people navigating the immigration system. For now, the key facts are that Albornoz Hernandez is in federal custody, her attorney is challenging the detention, and the university says it is working to support her.
REAL B asks: Should someone with a pending asylum case and work authorization be detained while that case is being processed? And what protections should apply when immigration enforcement happens during domestic travel? Share your thoughts respectfully.
Sources & further reading
- KQED — ICE Detains 23-Year-Old UC Berkeley Student at San Francisco International Airport (Nov. 3, updated Nov. 4, 2026)
- KTVU FOX 2 — UC Berkeley student taken into custody by ICE at San Francisco airport (Nov. 3, 2026)
- UC Berkeley — Supporting Berkeley student detained by immigration authorities (Nov. 3, 2026)
- San Francisco Chronicle — UC Berkeley student arrested by ICE at SFO (Nov. 3, 2026)
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