Johns Hopkins researcher Fatima Ameaka released after ICE detention

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Dr. Fatima Ameaka, a public‑health researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, while she was attempting to board a domestic flight at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Her attorney said she holds a valid Employment Authorization Document through 2029 and has a pending asylum application, but the Department of Homeland Security argued she had overstayed her visa, which expired in June 2024.

Ameaka, a Cameroonian national, was transferred to ICE processing sites in Virginia, Louisiana and Texas before being released after roughly one day in custody. Johns Hopkins University expressed deep concern, pledged legal support, and university officials, along with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, called for her release. The detention sparked criticism that immigration enforcement is being used to target foreign scholars, while her immigration case remains ongoing.