Bard College officials and church leaders intervened after Ali Faqirzada was detained following an asylum hearing in New York, tapping alumni networks, legal advocates and diocesan contacts to press for his release. The college and Episcopal Diocese coordinated legal support and public advocacy while highlighting the vulnerabilities international and asylum-seeking students face on campus. The case illustrates how small colleges are increasingly called upon to provide immigration advocacy, legal coordination and pastoral support when federal enforcement actions intersect with academic communities.