A Cheshire High School student known as “Rihan” was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on April 6, prompting widespread concern and various levels of outrage from Connecticut officials.
The student and his family are being identified only by their first names currently for safety reasons.
Nineteen-year-old Rihan is the son of “Zia,” an Afghan interpreter who worked alongside the United States Armed Forces. After assisting U.S. operations abroad, Zia and his family relocated to the United States in 2024 under a humanitarian visa, according to CT Mirror
In July 2025, Zia was picked up by ICE on his way to a scheduled immigration appointment in East Hartford, Conn. and was held at a detention center in Plymouth, Mass., for months. He was not able to return home until October 2025.
Less than a year later, ICE agents detained Rihan as he was leaving his home with his uncle. Rihan is now being held in the same Plymouth facility where his father was detained, according to Gov. Ned Lamont’s statement at a press conference held on April 10.
Lamont described Rihan as a high-achieving and ambitious student, the opposite of who ICE should be targeting.
“He is an ‘A’ student. He loves science, wants to be a cardiologist,” Lamont said. “I think that means you’re whip-smart and you have a big heart.”
State officials questioned the rationale behind the detention, particularly given Rihan’s lack of a criminal record. State Attorney General William Tong challenged the broader impact of such enforcement actions.
“How does this make us more safe as a state, as a people, as a country?” Tong asked during the press conference. “It doesn’t.”
Tong went further, criticizing what he described as systemic issues within immigration enforcement practices.
“This is not about criminals, this is about quotas,” Tong said. “This is about ICE agents trying to fill their numbers, and destroying a family in the process.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal was amongst those present at the press conference. He joined the other officials in condemning the detention and calling for accountability.
The case has intensified debate over federal immigration enforcement priorities, particularly when applied to individuals with humanitarian protections and no criminal history.
Advocates and public officials continue to call for Rihan’s release, arguing that his situation reflects broader concerns about fairness, policy implementation and the cost of immigration enforcement.