A Muslim student from Bangladesh attending Minnesota State University, Mankato was arrested last month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and has been held unlawfully in the Freeborn County jail in Albert Lea, according to a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court.

Mohammed Hoque, 20, who is majoring in management information systems and has international student status, was arrested March 28 on his way home from a coding class. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) then terminated his visa. According to the lawsuit, he has not been charged with a crime.

Hoque pleaded guilty two years ago to disorderly conduct after pushing his brother's friend during an argument and served one year of probation. The charge had no apparent effect on his ability to travel to Bangladesh to visit family members in 2023, according to the lawsuit, as he was allowed to reenter the United States after discussing the pending case with airport officials.

According to the lawsuit, Hoque believes the reason for his arrest by ICE and detention is his support for Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas, which he has often expressed on social media.

He is asking the court to order federal officials to provide a reason for his continued detention.

The suit refers to two executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, which instruct federal officials to identify noncitizens deemed to have attitudes contrary to the "culture, government, institutions or founding principles" of the United States, and target for investigation "campus anti-Semitism," including criticism of Israel.

Other Muslim college students arrested by ICE after expressing opposition to the Israel-Hamas war include Mahmoud Khalil of Columbia University and Rumeysa Ozturk of Tufts University, who are mentioned in the lawsuit.

Hoque had a hearing on April 9 at Fort Snelling, in which the immigration judge ruled that he was "not a danger" and ordered his release on bond.

However, DHS imposed an automatic stay of the order, keeping Hoque in detention for another 90 days.

On April 16, DHS issued a memo saying it intended to deport Hoque, based on the conduct that resulted in his disorderly conduct conviction.

Hoque said he is experiencing pain from complications of abdominal surgery. He had to miss a doctor's appointment on April 2 due to his imprisonment.

Federal agents, according to the lawsuit, "have arrested and detained Mr. Hoque pursuant to an established policy and practice of retaliation for his constitutionally protected speech and association as a Muslim person who supports Palestinian human rights."

Jp Lawrence and Paul Walsh of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.