Johns Hopkins Researcher Released After Being Detained by ICE at Maryland Airport
Armando Garcia and Laura Romero, ABC News, August 1, 2026
A Johns Hopkins University researcher has been released after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers at Baltimore Washington International Airport earlier this week, her attorney told ABC News.
According to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, ICE agents arrested Fatima Ameaka, a Cameroonian national, at the airport on Tuesday. The spokesperson said Ameaka overstayed a visa that expired on June 13, 2024.
{snip}
According to documents obtained by ABC News, Ameaka had a work authorization permit until 2029 and a pending asylum case.
{snip}
Ameaka is currently being held at the Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana, according to her attorney.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with her legal defense.
