- University of Maryland professor Dr. Berhanu Kibret remains in detention for three weeks following his July airport arrest.
- DHS alleges a visa overstay since 2024, while defense attorneys cite a pending application and valid work permit.
- Maryland representatives and academics have expressed concern over detention of highly esteemed faculty members with active cases.
Dr. Berhanu Geresu Kibret has remained in federal detention for three weeks, and his attorney said Tuesday she still had not received formal charges or a specific hearing date. The Ethiopian-born instructor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy was arrested July 21, 2026, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after returning from a pharmacy conference in Texas.
Kibret remains in ICE custody at a privately run Oklahoma facility. His arrest followed the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy annual meeting in Grapevine, Texas, where he had received a national Teacher of the Year award.
His attorney, Ronia Dubbaneh of Garfield Law Group, says Kibret has a pending application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and valid work authorization. The University of Maryland, Baltimore has also said he holds valid work authorization and hopes his immigration issues are resolved quickly.
The case turns on the difference between the government’s account of his expired visa and the defense position that his pending application permits him to remain while USCIS reviews it. Dubbaneh said Kibret is in a period of authorized stay.
“Dr. Kibret is in a period of authorized stay, allowing him to remain in the country while his case is adjudicated. [He] is very well loved, well respected, and highly esteemed.”
The university said Kibret joined its faculty in 2023. His research examines the brain’s cannabinoid system and its influence on mental health and addiction.
| Immigration event | Date or location |
|---|---|
| Entry into the United States | June 21, 2021, through Newark, New Jersey |
| visa expiration identified by DHS | May 31, 2024 |
| Arrest | July 21, 2026, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport |
| Detention site | Diamondback Correctional Facility in Watonga, Oklahoma |
| Distance from the airport | Approximately 250 miles |
| Distance northwest of Oklahoma City | About 70 miles |
DHS says the visa expired more than two years before the arrest
The Department of Homeland Security says Kibret entered the United States lawfully on June 21, 2021, but stayed after his visa expired on May 31, 2024. The department says he overstayed and did not depart.
DHS described the arrest in a statement that referred to him as an Ethiopian national who had violated immigration law.
“On July 21, 2026, ICE arrested Berhanu Geresu Kibret, an illegal alien from Ethiopia. Against our nation's laws, he overstayed his visa and failed to depart. He will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings.”
The department also promoted voluntary departure through the CBP Home App. DHS said individuals who use the program to self-deport may receive $2,600 and a free flight.
A DHS spokesperson added:
“Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all illegal aliens to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App.”
Dubbaneh’s position differs from DHS’s description. She says the pending USCIS application places Kibret in an authorized period of stay, while his Employment Authorization Document permits him to work.
The university describes a teacher and researcher with valid authorization
University officials called Kibret an effective teacher and a highly regarded colleague. They expressed concern about his continued detention and said his work authorization remained valid.
“Dr. Kibret has a valid work authorization, so it is our hope that any issues surrounding his status will be quickly resolved. He is an effective and beloved teacher, and a highly regarded colleague.”
The detention came shortly after Kibret accepted the Teacher of the Year award at the pharmacy educators’ meeting in Grapevine. His academic specialty focuses on cannabinoid receptors and the behavioral effects of drugs of abuse.
His detention has also drawn attention across Maryland’s academic and immigration communities. Dr. Fatima Ameaka of Johns Hopkins University was recently detained at Baltimore-Washington International Airport over similar overstay allegations and released after four days.
Kelly Rojas, an advocate with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, warned that ICE was pursuing detention quotas at airports and targeting people with pending applications. Her statement formed part of broader concern about airport arrests involving academics and other people already engaged with immigration agencies.
A group of Maryland representatives known as “Team Maryland” has reportedly written to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking information about the detention of academics.
Kibret’s attorney is still waiting for a formal case update
Dubbaneh said Tuesday that she had not received formal charges or a specific hearing date. Kibret therefore remains held in Oklahoma while his pending application and work authorization remain central to the dispute.
The university continues to cite the authorization as a reason for his release. DHS continues to rely on the visa expiration date and its allegation that Kibret overstayed and failed to leave.
The immigration timeline began with his June 21, 2021, entry and reached the visa expiration identified by DHS on May 31, 2024. More than two years later, officers detained him at the Texas airport on July 21, 2026.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific case.
