Former Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Architecture + Planning Cansin İlayda Çetin was reportedly detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shortly after her dismissal from UT San Antonio. Under a r/UTSA Reddit thread, there is a post titled “Former UTSA Professor is in ICE Detention right now” that claims Çetin was detained in January. 

User shmandameyes posted the message on Feb. 11, arguing that Çetin was allowed a grace period to seek other employment after being let go from UT San Antonio. It is not specified what type of temporary visa she held. The Paisano reached out to Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Affairs Joe Izbrand, inquiring about what course she taught, how long she taught for and the circumstances of her departure from the university last fall.

“Cansin Ilayda Cetin was a fixed-term faculty member who fulfilled her contract as of December 2025. Her discipline is in interior design,” Izbrand stated.

U/shmandameyes states in the Reddit post that Çetin was let go from UT San Antonio after the fall 2025 semester concluded. A report by UT San Antonio’s Appendix C. Faculty on Nov. 18, 2025, confirms Çetin as Associate Professor of Instruction. Çetin is not currently listed as a faculty member under the School of Architecture + Planning. 

“UTSA has declined to hire her back, and she is in a limbo state waiting for a court date. She described a harrowing experience. She was denied her medications for 9 days. She is in a dormitory with 18 other women,” u/shmandameyes detailed in the Reddit post. 

Çetin is currently located at an ICE detention center in Karnes City, Texas. ICE’s Online Detainee Locator System listed Çetin as being held at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center as of March 2. Çetin’s inmate number — A221376137 — was also posted in the thread, and she is confirmed to be in ICE’s custody in a South Texas detention facility, according to locator.ice.gov.

Right To Rebel SATX organized a mass meeting on Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at an undisclosed location, addressing Çetin’s recent detainment. The revolutionary youth organization provided anonymous quotes from UT San Antonio students who attended. 

“Dr. Çetin’s detention shows that ICE can go after anyone at a moment’s notice, and that UT San Antonio’s administration will do nothing to protect them,” one UT San Antonio student said.

“We can’t rely on asking nicely to prevent staff from getting detained. ‘Perfect Victim’ or not, they belong here, and we need to fight if we want people to stop getting taken,” another UT San Antonio student explained.

Çetin is a Turkish professor, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her profile also cited her employment at UT San Antonio as two years and 11 months. 

This is a developing story that The Paisano will continue to investigate.