- ICE arrested a Johns Hopkins researcher at B-W-I Airport for allegedly overstaying her visa during a domestic trip.
- A May twenty twenty-five agreement grants ICE real-time access to passenger data at twenty-five major U.S. airports.
- Detainees face choices between fines and deportation or using the C-B-P Home app for voluntary departure incentives.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained a Johns Hopkins researcher on July 28 at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, accusing her of overstaying a visa while boarding a domestic flight for a personal trip.
The Department of Homeland Security said she entered the United States from Cameroon on June 27, 2023. Her visa authorized her to remain in the country until June 13, 2024, the department said.
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She remains in ICE custody pending removal proceedings. As of July 31, 2026, officials held her at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana, a facility owned by The GEO Group.
The researcher is Fatima Ameaka, a senior analyst at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Outbreak Response Innovation and a former Fulbright scholar.
Johns Hopkins University said it is working to support Ameaka and help her obtain legal representation. Colleagues created a fundraiser that had raised over $40,000 by July 31 for legal defense and bond costs.
University spokesperson Doug Donovan said the detention had unsettled the university community.
“Johns Hopkins is deeply concerned. The university understands the fear and concern this instills in members of our community. Dr. Ameaka was traveling in a personal capacity. we are actively working to provide support for Dr. Ameaka, including ensuring she has access to legal representation.”
Colleagues described her as an “irreplaceable” and “brilliant scientist.”
A May 2025 agreement gives ICE access to airport passenger data
The detention followed a Memorandum of Agreement signed in May 2025 between the Transportation Security Administration and ICE. The arrangement allows TSA to share real-time passenger manifest data with immigration agents.
Agents can use that information at security checkpoints and departure gates. The operation now covers 25 major U.S. airports.
Reports indicate airport-linked immigration arrests have increased fivefold since Jan. 20, 2025, compared with previous years. At least 27 travelers were reportedly detained during the last week alone.
The reported detainees included spouses of U.S. citizens and people whose work authorizations had technically expired while they waited for USCIS renewals. The enforcement effort has also reached people described as “clean record” visa overstayers, highly skilled researchers and individuals with pending immigration applications.
The arrangement brings civil immigration enforcement into domestic travel. Ameaka was detained before completing a personal trip, rather than while leaving the country on an international flight.
DHS says the researcher entered lawfully before overstaying
A DHS spokesperson said the agency arrested Ameaka after determining that her authorized stay had ended. The spokesperson said she would remain detained during the removal case.
“On July 28, 2026, ICE arrested Fatima Ameaka, an illegal alien from Cameroon, at the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. On June 27, 2023, she entered the country on a visa that would allow her to remain in the country until June 13, 2024. In violation of our nation's laws, she overstayed her visa. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.”
The department presented the arrest as part of a broader effort targeting people it considers unlawfully present in the United States. A DHS spokesperson said July 29:
“This administration is working diligently to ensure that aliens in our country illegally can no longer fly unless it is out of our country to self-deport.”
The policy has expanded airport enforcement beyond people with criminal warrants or final orders of removal, according to the policy details. It includes people whose cases involve expired visas, pending immigration applications or employment authorization renewals.
Officials offer a free flight and $2,600 for voluntary departure
Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said July 28 that people without lawful status could use the CBP Home app to arrange departure.
“Illegal aliens have a choice: They can use the CBP Home app and receive a free flight home and $2,600, or be fined, arrested, and deported.”
The CBP Home initiative offers noncitizens a free flight home and a $2,600 payment if they agree to leave voluntarily through the mobile app. The Department of Homeland Security also described the payment as a check for voluntary departure.
People who do not comply can face civil fines of up to $998 per day. The agency said the researcher remains detained rather than using that voluntary-departure option.
Her case has drawn attention inside the university because of her research role and professional background. The fundraiser is intended to cover legal defense and bond costs while the removal proceedings continue.
The reported airport detentions include people with family ties in the United States and others waiting for immigration agencies to process renewals. The enforcement operation remains active at 25 airports, placing domestic travelers under scrutiny while they pass through security or wait at departure gates.
