Overview
- A federal immigration judge denied a bond request and ordered that University of Maryland School of Pharmacy instructor Berhanu Kibret remain in ICE custody, his attorney and multiple news outlets reported on Tuesday.
- Kibret was arrested at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on July 21 while returning from a professional conference where he had received a Teacher of the Year award.
- The Department of Homeland Security says Kibret overstayed a visa that expired in May 2024, but the university and his lawyers assert he has valid work authorization and was on a period of authorized stay.
- His legal team submitted 18 letters of support and described the judge’s decision as not properly weighing the record, while the university has set up a support network and says it is assessing the impact on fall teaching.
- Advocates and university officials say this case is part of a wider rise in airport-based arrests tied to increased TSA–ICE passenger-data sharing, a change that universities warn may disrupt recruiting, teaching and research collaborations.