Federal immigration authorities apprehended an illegal alien who has been working at a prestigious university in the sanctuary state of Maryland.
On Tuesday, Fatima Ameaka was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers while boarding a flight to Florida at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, WBAL reports.
Ameaka, a citizen of Cameroon, has been living in the U.S. illegally since her visa expired in June 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The Cameroonian is employed as a research associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Her colleagues started a crowdfund that has raised more than $40,000 at the time of this writing.
“Johns Hopkins is deeply concerned to have learned of the recent detention of Fatima Ameaka, an employee at the Bloomberg School of Public Health and a respected member of our community,” the university explained in a statement.
“The university understands the fear and concern this instills in members of our community. Dr. Ameaka was traveling in a personal capacity, and though we cannot comment on the specifics of her situation, we want to assure our community that the university is actively working to provide support for Dr. Ameaka, including ensuring she has access to legal representation.”
Ameaka is reportedly being held at an ICE detention facility in South Louisiana.
African Illegal Working as Researcher at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Arrested at Baltimore Airport
Federal immigration authorities apprehended an illegal alien who has been working at a prestigious university in the sanctuary state of Maryland.
On Tuesday, Fatima… pic.twitter.com/UDAjagNwRf
— Border Hawk (@BorderHawkNews) July 31, 2026
“In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings,” a DHS spokesperson stated.
ICE has reportedly ramped up efforts to catch visa violators at U.S. airports in recent weeks.
