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US airport arrest: Immigration concerns rise as ICE detains Johns Hopkins scholar with valid work permit till 2029
A Johns Hopkins researcher from Cameroon, Fatima Ameaka, was detained by ICE at an airport despite holding valid work authorization until 2029,
A Johns Hopkins University researcher from Cameroon with a valid US work authorization until 2029 has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking concern among academics and immigration advocates amid an apparent expansion of airport arrests targeting visa overstayers.
Fatima Ameaka, a researcher at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, was arrested by ICE officers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on Tuesday while travelling for personal reasons, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Ameaka to stay in ICE custody
DHS said Ameaka had overstayed a visa that expired on June 13, 2024, and would remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
"In violation of our nation's laws, she overstayed her visa. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings," a DHS spokesperson said, as perABC News.
However, documents obtained by ABC News paint a more complex immigration picture. The records show Ameaka held a valid employment authorization document allowing her to work in the United States until 2029 and had a pending asylum application, raising fresh questions about the enforcement action.
Johns Hopkins University expresses concern
Johns Hopkins University described Ameaka as "a respected member of our community" and said it was actively assisting her.
"The university understands the fear and concern this instills in members of our community," a university spokesperson said to ABC News, adding that Ameaka had been travelling in a personal capacity. The institution said it was working to ensure she had access to legal representation while declining to comment on the specifics of her case.
Dr. Tom Inglesby, director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins, where Ameaka works, praised her contributions, describing her as an accomplished researcher and valued colleague.
A Fulbright Scholar with a doctorate in pharmacy, Ameaka joined the centre two years ago and has been involved in research aimed at improving responses to infectious disease outbreaks, including measles.
"She is an amazing person. She is really smart. She's committed and she is funny," Inglesby told ABC News, adding that she is "a beloved colleague at our center."
According to Inglesby, Ameaka's family and legal team have struggled to communicate with her since the arrest.
Held in Louisiana
Ameaka is currently being held at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana, according to her attorney. A GoFundMe campaign has also been launched to help cover her legal expenses.
Airport arrests on the rise amid visa crackdown
The detention comes days after ABC News reported on a federal memo outlining expanded efforts by immigration authorities to increase arrests at US airports involving individuals accused of overstaying their visas.
The initiative is part of the Trump administration's broader immigration enforcement strategy, which has increasingly focused on identifying visa overstayers during domestic travel through cooperation between ICE and airport security agencies.
The case is likely to draw attention among international students, researchers and skilled professionals working in the United States, many of whom hold employment authorization while awaiting decisions on asylum or other immigration applications.
Immigration lawyers have stated that although a pending asylum application and work authorization may permit an individual to remain and work legally in the US during the adjudication process, questions over underlying immigration status can still result in enforcement actions.
Ameaka's detention has become one of the most closely watched examples of the administration's intensified airport enforcement policy, with legal proceedings expected to determine her immigration status in the coming weeks.
