Maine Medical Center Nurses Rally as ICE Releases Colleague in Removal Proceedings

Nurses at Maine Medical Center rallied in Portland after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained colleague Debora Kapisha at Boston Logan International Airport and later released her from ICE custody. Kapisha, a registered nurse from Zambia, had spent about one week detained after traveling through the airport on July 30, 2026.

More than 200 nurses, union members and supporters gathered outside the Portland hospital on August 5. The Maine State Nurses Association and National Nurses United organized the demonstration within 24 hours of learning about the detention.

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree announced on August 7 that Kapisha had been released and was returning to Maine. A union representative said she was back with her family.

The case remains active. Kapisha’s asylum application is pending, and her removal proceedings continue under the government’s position.

Kelli Brennan, a registered nurse at Maine Med and a union nurse leader, said the campaign aimed to prevent Kapisha’s transfer away from New England and press for her release.

“This is not about safety. This is not about border security. It is about stripping our friends and neighbors of their dignity, their safety, and any ability they have to comfortably live their lives.”

Brennan said the union feared that a transfer would separate Kapisha from her attorneys and local support network. A judge had granted the government’s request to move her to Louisiana before authorities released her at the agency’s discretion, with conditions.

ICE cited an expired visa while nurses pointed to asylum and work authorization

ICE said Kapisha entered the United States on May 14, 2024, on a visa that expired on November 13, 2024. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said she was apprehended for “allegedly overstaying a visa that expired in November 2024.”

The agency also said a pending asylum application does not itself give an applicant lawful immigration status. In an earlier statement, DHS and ICE said Kapisha “will remain in ICE custody pending the outcome of her removal proceedings” and alleged that she had overstayed her visa.

The nurses’ union described the situation differently. It said Kapisha had authorization to live and work in the United States while immigration officials processed her asylum claim.

That disagreement drove the public campaign. Her supporters argued that her pending case and employment authorization should have protected her from detention and a transfer far from Maine. The government relied on the visa overstay allegation and the continuing immigration case.

Kapisha is 28 and works as a medical-surgical nurse. Abigail Nelson, a fellow nurse, described the detention as a loss for patients and coworkers.

“Not only is it heartbreaking to see someone who has given so much to others be taken away, but it’s angering and it’s just sickening. She’s a trusted colleague, a compassionate caregiver, and a person whose work has made a profound difference in the lives of countless patients.”

Britt Crewse, president of MaineHealth Southern Region, said the health system was concerned because Kapisha appeared to have been living and working in the area legally. Matt Wolden, chief operating officer of Maine Medical Center, was also identified among the hospital officials connected to the response.

The campaign focused on stopping a transfer to Louisiana

The prospect of moving Kapisha from Massachusetts to Louisiana gave the demonstrations an immediate objective. Detention transfers can make it harder for a person to meet with counsel and maintain contact with family, particularly when a case is pending in another jurisdiction.

Judge F. Dennis Saylor granted the government’s request for the transfer. Kapisha was later released before that move occurred, with conditions set at the agency’s discretion.

The union said its rapid response sought to keep her in New England while it demanded her release. More than 100 advocacy letters were written during her detention, according to the campaign organizers.

Puneet Maharaj, executive director of National Nurses United, credited the nurses’ organizing effort.

“This story is a testament to the power of organized nurses. Nurses in Maine found out one of their own was locked up and sprung into action to get her out.”

Cokie Giles, a registered nurse and vice president of National Nurses United, also took part in the union’s response. The Maine State Nurses Association is affiliated with the national union.

Sarah English, Janel Crowley and Ashlynn Ward were among the Maine Med nurses identified in connection with the effort. English delivered a message from Kapisha after her release.

“Thank you for all your love and support. I am so thankful to be home and can’t wait to return to my co-workers and patients.”

Pingree called for wider limits on ICE operations in Maine

Pingree, a Democrat representing Maine’s 1st District, said the federal enforcement action should not be viewed only as an individual case.

“We’ve gotta stop this, we’ve gotta stop ICE operations in Maine, but in the meantime we have to fight for each and every person who is allowed to be here and who is our friends and neighbors and coworkers.”

The congresswoman’s August 7 announcement came as nurses prepared a celebratory press conference at 11:30 a.m. at Western Promenade in Portland. The event was intended to welcome Kapisha home after her release.

The union characterized the detention as part of what it called a broader mass deportation agenda. It also criticized the federal agency’s use of detention against an asylum seeker who, according to the union, held valid work authorization.

The case has not ended with Kapisha’s return. Her asylum claim remains pending, and a bond hearing had initially been scheduled for August 10. The union is also calling on MaineHealth to formally sponsor her for permanent residency.

A sponsorship effort would be separate from the pending asylum case and would not itself resolve the government’s allegations about her immigration history. Immigration consequences can depend on the underlying filings, work authorization history, court record and applicable jurisdiction.

The nurses’ response continued after the airport detention ended. Maharaj said the campaign showed how quickly union members could mobilize, while Brennan framed the case as a question of dignity and safety for a coworker.

Kapisha’s next immigration proceedings will determine how the asylum claim and the government’s allegations move forward. The August 10 hearing date was the next scheduled step identified by the campaign.

This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.