ICE detains Johns Hopkins researcher at Maryland airport
What's new: Fatima Ameaka had a pending asylum case and work authorization through 2029, but DHS says she overstayed a visa that expired in June 2024.
U.S. immigration agents detained Johns Hopkins University researcher Fatima Ameaka at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport while she was preparing to take a domestic flight, as federal authorities step up airport arrests tied to visa overstays. The Department of Homeland Security said Ameaka, a Cameroonian national, remained in ICE custody pending removal proceedings because her visa expired on June 13, 2024. Documents obtained by ABC News show she also had a pending asylum case and a work permit valid through 2029. Johns Hopkins said the Bloomberg School of Public Health employee is a respected member of its community and that it is helping secure legal support. Her lawyer said she is being held at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana.