PHILADELPHIA — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed a Chinese citizen from the United States last week after he was convicted of unlawfully using a drone to photograph U.S. naval installations in Virginia, federal authorities said.
Fengyun Shi was removed to China on May 7 following a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in New Jersey. ICE’s Office of the Principal Legal Advisor designated Shi as a national security risk based on his conviction for unauthorized aerial surveillance of designated defense sites.
“The removal of Fengyun Shi reflects ICE’s steadfast dedication to protecting the American people and upholding national security,” said acting ERO Philadelphia Field Office Director Brian McShane in a statement. “His unlawful actions posed a significant risk to sensitive military installations, and his removal ensures that he is no longer a threat to the nation.”
Shi entered the U.S. on Aug. 11, 2021, through San Francisco International Airport under an F-1 nonimmigrant student visa to attend the University of Minnesota as a graduate student in agricultural engineering. On Jan. 18, 2024, the FBI arrested Shi in San Francisco following an investigation that determined he had used a commercial drone to photograph naval bases near Norfolk, Virginia.
On Jan. 25, 2024, the Department of State revoked Shi’s visa, and his enrollment in the University of Minnesota’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program was terminated on Feb. 7, 2024. He was convicted on Oct. 2, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia for use of an aircraft for the unlawful photographing of a designated defense installation. He received a six-month prison sentence and one year of supervised release.
ICE details immigration arrest and deportation process
Enforcement and Removal Operations Philadelphia encountered Shi at the Federal Correctional Institution Allenwood in Pennsylvania and placed an immigration detainer on Nov. 13, 2024. Upon his release from custody on March 7, ERO agents arrested Shi and detained him at Clinton County Correctional Facility in McElhatten, Pennsylvania.
That same day, ICE charged Shi with removability under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. On March 24, an immigration judge in Elizabeth, New Jersey, issued the final order for his removal.
ICE said the case is an example of its priority on national security enforcement actions.
