A transgender woman detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at a New York airport says she was released from a male-only detention facility only after medical staff examined her genitals and confirmed she had undergone gender-affirming surgery.
Clara Tan, 33, described the ordeal in a Facebook post, alleging that four ICE agents approached her outside Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport shortly after midnight Tuesday, October 27.
Tan, originally from Singapore, was returning from California when agents reportedly called her by name and informed her they had a warrant for her arrest. When she requested identification and attempted to make a phone call, she alleges agents tackled her to the pavement, injuring her left foot.
She was subsequently transported to the Buffalo Service Processing Center in Batavia, New York, a detention facility housing male detainees.
According to WXXI News, Tan entered the United States in 2019 to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She subsequently filed an asylum application and obtained employment authorization.
ICE confirmed her arrest, stating that she had failed to maintain lawful immigration status after completing an international student program in July 2022. Tan disputes aspects of the agency’s allegations.
During her detention, Tan repeatedly questioned why she was being held in a men’s facility. She alleges that an officer eventually asked whether she still possessed male genitalia.
After explaining that she had undergone gender-affirming surgery in 2024, Tan says two female medical staff members conducted a physical examination to verify her anatomy.
Following the examination, she was released with an ankle monitor and instructed to appear in immigration court on December 8.
Tan spent approximately 18 hours in custody.
The incident raises questions about how transgender detainees are classified and treated under the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
In January 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to recognize sex according to the administration’s biological definitions. ICE subsequently revised detention standards, removing specific protections addressing transgender detainees’ housing and medical needs.
Tan’s account suggests that her surgical status directly influenced whether she would remain detained in a male facility. However, ICE has not publicly confirmed that her anatomy determined her release.
The agency also did not answer questions about its transgender detention policies or the circumstances surrounding her release.
Tan sought medical attention following her release, expressing concern that her foot had been fractured during the arrest.
Her experience highlights continuing concerns about the treatment, safety, and dignity of transgender immigrants in federal custody.
