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San Francisco professor and nurse is held in ICE custody for months as students demand she’s let out
University of San Francisco professor and nurse Dr Ann Lawani has been held in ICE custody for nearly two months after being arrested at her home in California and transferred to a detention centre in Louisiana. Her detention has disrupted the university’s nursing programme and prompted former students, colleagues and a local congressman to call for her release.
The Department of Homeland Security says Lawani, who is from Nigeria, overstayed a visitor visa and has been subject to a final removal order since 2013. Her lawyer says an immigration judge also granted her protection from removal to Nigeria, where she could face persecution, and that her work authorisation is valid until 2029. A petition seeking her release has attracted nearly 16,000 signatures, while a federal judge is considering her claim that her detention violated her constitutional rights.
In short
- Dr Ann Lawani has been detained by ICE for nearly two months.
- DHS cites a 2013 removal order; her lawyer says she has protection from return to Nigeria.
- A federal judge is considering her petition challenging the detention.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters argue that Lawani should be released while her case is reviewed because an immigration judge reportedly granted protection from removal to Nigeria and her work authorisation remains valid. They also point to her years of teaching and nursing, the disruption to students, and the need to ensure detention complies with constitutional rights.
The case against
Those favouring continued detention pending legal proceedings argue that immigration rules and final removal orders must be enforced consistently, and that the government says Lawani has been subject to such an order since 2013 after overstaying her visa. They may see detention as a lawful way to maintain custody while courts clarify how that order relates to her protection from removal and current status.
Explained simply
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detains people while immigration cases are handled and can hold them pending removal from the country. A removal order is an official decision that someone must leave the US; people may also seek legal protection if they say returning to their country would put them at risk.
Dr Ann Lawani is a Nigerian-born professor and nurse who teaches at the University of San Francisco. The Department of Homeland Security says she overstayed a visitor visa and has had a final removal order since 2013; her lawyer says an immigration judge granted her protection from removal to Nigeria and that her work authorisation remains valid.
The dispute involves both the government’s immigration powers and Lawani’s claims about her legal protections and constitutional rights. Her absence has also affected the university’s nursing programme, while students, colleagues and a local congressman have urged her release.