ICE detains University of Maryland "teacher of the year" at Dallas airport
An instructor for the University of Maryland's (UMD) School of Pharmacy was detained by immigration officials last month at Dallas Fort Worth airport, according to the university and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A statement by UMD said that on July 21, Dr. Berhanu Kibret was arrested at the airport after attending a job-related conference in the city. "He was returning from a meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, where he received a Teacher of the Year award."
"Dr. Kibret has a valid Work Authorization, so it is our hope that any issues surrounding his status will be quickly resolved and that he will be permitted to continue his work at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy," the UMD statement said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed Kibret's arrest in a statement to CBS Baltimore.
"On July 21, 2026, ICE arrested Berhanu Geresu Kibret, an illegal alien from Ethiopia. Geresu Kibret entered the country on June 21, 2021, on a visa set to expire on May 31, 2024. Against our nation's laws, he overstayed his visa and failed to depart. He will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings."
"Being in detention is a choice," the DHS added. "We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering illegal aliens $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now."
The UMD said it was "greatly troubled" by the School of Pharmacy instructor's arrest.
"Dr. Kibret is a highly valued member of the University of Maryland, Baltimore community," the university's statement said. "He is an effective and beloved teacher, and a highly regarded colleague. His detention has generated not only great sympathy for his plight, but also a heightened sense of apprehension here on campus."
The UMD said Kibret joined the school's faculty in 2023. Before that, he worked at William Paterson University as a postdoctoral researcher.
"His research has focused on the causes and treatment of addiction, specifically in the field of cannabinoid receptors and the behavioral effects of drugs of abuse," the statement said.
Kibret's arrest comes after a researcher for Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University was detained on July 28 by federal immigration officers while boarding a domestic flight at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
Fatima Ameaka, a native of Cameroon, was released from a detention facility in Texas Friday night. Her attorney, Benjamin Osorio, confirmed to CBS Baltimore that Ameaka had arrived back in Maryland after being released from detainment.