Two Kachin students from Myanmar have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at international airports in Texas and Florida, according to community members in the United States.

The students — one male and one female — were taken into custody during the third week of July upon arrival at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and an undisclosed international airport in Florida, sources close to the cases said.

Both students had applied for political asylum in the U.S. following Myanmar’s 2021 military coup and were awaiting decisions on their applications.

The detentions have raised concerns among the Myanmar diaspora, with some linking the arrests to the Trump administration’s broader immigration enforcement push and stricter airport border checks.

“It appears ICE is targeting Myanmar students who applied for political asylum after the 2021 coup,” said a Kachin resident in the U.S. “The administration’s accelerated deportation efforts now seem to be affecting Myanmar nationals.”

However, another community member noted that the detentions reflect a general tightening of immigration procedures rather than a specific targeting of asylum seekers.

Local Myanmar civil society organizations are coordinating legal assistance for the male student in Texas, with hopes for an early release. Efforts are also underway to support the female student in Florida.

The detentions coincide with a new policy issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on July 28, 2026.

Under the new rule, certain asylum applicants may be referred directly to immigration court before their asylum interviews.

While the U.S. government states the policy aims to expedite case processing, advocates warn that court proceedings could lead to prolonged legal delays and heightened risks of deportation.