- Fatima Ameaka, a public health researcher, was arrested by federal agents at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for allegedly overstaying her visa and is currently detained in Louisiana.
- Ameaka entered the U.S. on a visa in June 2023 allowing her to stay legally until mid-2024.
- ICE arrested Fatima Ameaka at Baltimore-Washington International Airport while she was boarding a flight this week.
- Ameaka is being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, roughly 90 miles from Baton Rouge.
- ICE and TSA have been coordinating on passenger data since at least May 2025.
- Watchdog group American Oversight criticized the agreement, stating that passenger data should not be used for immigration enforcement.
- Johns Hopkins is 'deeply concerned' about her arrest, according to a statement from university spokesperson Doug Donovan.
Fatima Ameaka, a senior analyst at the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation in the Bloomberg School of Public Health, was arrested by ICE at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for allegedly overstaying her visa. She is currently detained at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, approximately 90 miles from Baton Rouge.1
Her arrest, first reported by *The Baltimore Banner*, is part of a troubling trend of increased airport arrests, which have raised alarms about the collaboration between ICE and TSA. Newly revealed memorandums indicate a data-sharing agreement that allows ICE access to passenger information, including names and birth dates of travelers with removal orders. This partnership has drawn criticism from watchdog groups like American Oversight, which argue that passenger data should not be used for immigration enforcement.5
Johns Hopkins University expressed its deep concern over Ameaka's detention, emphasizing that she was traveling in a personal capacity. University spokesperson Doug Donovan stated, “The university understands the fear and concern this instills in members of our community” and assured that they are working to provide support, including legal representation for Ameaka.7
The situation has sparked a broader discussion about the implications of ICE's actions and the extent of its collaboration with TSA, which appears to contradict previous congressional testimonies regarding information sharing between the agencies. “Americans provide their personal information to board a plane safely, not to become part of an immigration enforcement system,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight.
“Ameaka, a former Fulbright scholar from Cameroon and senior analyst at Johns Hopkins' Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, is held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, roughly 90 miles from Baton Rouge. Newly revealed agreements show TSA has shared passenger names and birth dates with ICE since May 2025, drawing criticism from American Oversight.”
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