Chinese Christian student detained by ICE for months, family says pregnancy lost in custody
May 20, 2026·Location: Arlington, TX
Country of origin: China

Dixuan 'Kai' Li, a 27-year-old Chinese woman who came to the U.S. in 2019 on a student visa, was detained by ICE officers without a warrant as she left her Arlington apartment with her husband in May and has since spent more than four months at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado. Li, who says she and her family faced religious persecution in China as Christians—her mother reportedly led a house church there for more than 30 years before later receiving asylum in the U.S.—has a bipolar disorder diagnosis and previously survived two suicide attempts related to depression. She married U.S. citizen Nathaniel Clemetson in February; he says she was pregnant at the time of her arrest and may have suffered a miscarriage in custody without adequate medical care, according to a family-run advocacy website. Li has a deportation order under appeal, and her family says legal costs have exceeded $25,000, prompting a GoFundMe campaign to help cover expenses.
Sources
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