According to reports from multiple media outlets, a Cameroonian employee of Johns Hopkins University was detained by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport on Tuesday, July 28th, and was released on Saturday, August 1st, after about four days in detention.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed earlier that ICE agents arrested Fatima Ameaka, a Cameroonian citizen, at the Maryland airport. The spokesperson stated that Ameaka’s visa Period of Stay expired on June 13, 2024, and she had overstayed for over two years, “violating the laws of our country, overstaying her visa, and has been detained for removal proceedings.”
Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director of the Health Security Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, confirmed that Ameaka had been studying at the university as a Fulbright Scholar and had been engaged in research work at the center for the past two years.
Fulbright Scholars are recipients of the Fulbright Program, a U.S. government-funded program established in 1946 by U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright, which allows educators, researchers, and professionals from universities to undertake teaching, research, and professional exchanges in the United States.
Documents obtained by ABC News indicated that Ameaka’s asylum application is currently under review, and she currently holds a work permit valid until 2029.
Ameaka’s lawyer stated that she was detained at a detention facility in Louisiana before being released.
Earlier this week, Johns Hopkins University stated that Ameaka holds a doctorate in pharmacy, is an employee of the School of Public Health, and expressed being “deeply concerned” about her detention.
A university spokesperson said, “Dr. Ameaka’s travel on this occasion is a private matter, and we are not authorized to comment. We want to assure the community that the university is actively working to support Dr. Ameaka, including ensuring she has access to legal assistance.”
According to multiple media reports, ICE has recently intensified efforts to arrest visa overstayers at airports across the United States.