Boston: Johanne Liou (???), a Taiwanese woman who gained notoriety during the Sunflower Movement student protest in 2014, was apprehended in Boston last month amid U.S. President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, as reported by Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Saturday. Liou's arrest was publicized by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on its official website on Tuesday, revealing that she was detained for overstaying her visa.

According to Focus Taiwan, ICE announced that its Boston Field Office for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) captured Liou, describing her as a "fugitive, criminal alien wanted for embezzlement, fraud, drug crimes in Taiwan." The apprehension took place on January 23, with assistance from Massachusetts state's Needham Police Department. ICE's acting ERO Boston Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde emphasized the significance of the collaboration with local law enforcement, stating that arresting such foreign fugitives is crucial to safeguarding public safety and maintaining the integrity of the immigration system.

Liou had reportedly entered the United States legally on a temporary visitor visa in May 2019 but failed to leave by her designated exit date in August of the same year. ICE has confirmed that Liou will remain under ERO custody until her removal from the U.S., which the CIB estimates will occur sometime in March.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Taiwan also acknowledged its role in assisting ICE with Liou's arrest. The bureau stated that its U.S. liaison provided ICE with pertinent information about Liou in collaboration with the latest U.S. immigration enforcement policy enacted by President Trump.

Liou, who became known as the "Sunflower Queen" due to her appearance and attire during the 2014 Sunflower Movement, allegedly facilitated the introduction of Taiwanese women to a prostitution ring in the U.S. in 2015. Her involvement in this suspected cross-border operation led to her being barred from leaving Taiwan a decade ago.

Over the years, Liou's name became synonymous with controversy, as she was repeatedly mentioned in Taiwanese media for her alleged involvement in embezzlement, fraud, and drug-related crimes. In 2023, the New Taipei District Prosecutors Office declared her a wanted criminal for failing to appear in court. As a fugitive of New Taipei, the CIB has stated that she will be transferred to the custody of the city's prosecutors, who will determine which charges she will first face trial for.