Nigerian Nurse, US Professor Ann Lawani Detained by ICE Despite Years of Service
Nigerian Nurse, US Professor Ann Lawani Detained by ICE Despite Years of Service
Nigerian Nurse, US Professor Ann Lawani Detained by ICE Despite Years of Service
A Nigerian-born nurse and assistant professor in the United States, Ann Lawani, has been arrested and detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking concern among her family, colleagues and supporters.
Lawani was reportedly arrested at her home in Lodi, California, on September 16, during what the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as a targeted immigration enforcement operation.
She has lived in the United States for 13 years, where she works as a nurse at John Muir Health and serves as a programme director at the University of San Francisco, overseeing more than 200 nursing students.
The Nigerian-born academic, who also cares for her 83-year-old father, holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of San Diego and specialises in hospice and palliative care.
However, the Department of Homeland Security said Lawani originally entered the United States legally on June 7, 2007, but overstayed her temporary admission and was issued a final deportation order in August 2013.
The agency maintained that having employment authorisation does not automatically grant an individual lawful immigration status.
The case has attracted the attention of California Congressman Josh Harder, who has called for her release, arguing that Lawani had maintained federally authorised employment and complied with immigration requirements.
Harder said an immigration judge had previously blocked her deportation to Nigeria after determining that she would likely face persecution if returned to the country.
He also alleged that ICE attempted to deport her to an undisclosed country without providing the necessary documents to her lawyer.
The congressman further disclosed that Lawani was arrested without prior notice and transferred through several states to a detention facility in Louisiana, leaving her family and legal representatives struggling to establish her whereabouts.
Her brother, Samuel Lawani, described the arrest and subsequent transfer as devastating, while the University of San Francisco has also joined calls for her release on bond.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security had yet to respond to questions concerning the alleged violation of the immigration judge’s protection and her reported transfer to Louisiana.
The case has raised concerns among her supporters over her detention, immigration status and the circumstances surrounding her attempted deportation.
Nigerian Nurse, US Professor Ann Lawani Detained by ICE Despite Years of Service
