Johns Hopkins public health researcher had valid work authorization when detained by ICE, attorney says
A Johns Hopkins University public health researcher who federal immigration officers detained on July 28 has valid work authorization, according to her attorney.
Fatima Ameaka, a native of Cameroon, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while boarding a domestic flight at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
She was released from a detention facility in Texas Friday night. Her attorney, Benjamin Osorio, said in a statement that Johns Hopkins colleagues were traveling to Texas Saturday to pick her up. Osorio confirmed to CBS Baltimore on Monday that Ameaka had arrived back in Maryland after being released.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told CBS News Baltimore last week that Ameaka was arrested for overstaying her visa. According to DHS, Ameaka entered the United States on June 27, 2023, on a visa that allowed her to remain in the country until June 13, 2024.
Osorio said Ameaka was arrested while she had a pending asylum application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "Dr. Ameaka lawfully entered the United States on a J-1 visa. While still in valid J-1 status, she applied for and was granted Temporary Protected Status," Osorio said.
Ameaka's attorney added that because his client had "transitioned from one lawful status to another," she had never overstayed her visa. "She subsequently filed an application for asylum, which remains pending," Osorio said. "Dr. Ameaka holds valid employment authorization and is currently employed as a faculty member at Johns Hopkins University."
Ameaka was held at detention facilities in Virginia, Louisiana, and Texas before being released.
Ameaka is a senior analyst at the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, which is housed within Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work focuses on improving how communities respond to infectious disease crises, including outbreaks such as measles.
A Johns Hopkins University spokesperson told CBS News Baltimore that the university is working to ensure Ameaka has access to legal representation. An online fundraiser organized by one of her friends has also raised more than $40,000 to support that effort.
CBS News Baltimore reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment but has not yet received a response.
Immigration enforcement at U.S. airports
The Trump administration has increased its focus on immigration enforcement at U.S. airports through collaboration between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to ICE sources.
Sources said TSA has provided ICE with tips and leads about noncitizen travelers, including immigrants who do not have criminal records but are suspected of civil immigration violations, such as overstaying a visa.
An ICE source said undocumented immigrants traveling through airports are considered "easy targets" because agents can make arrests in secured locations and often have information about their cases ahead of time.
