University of Maryland says instructor holds valid work authorization

In a statement to the Guardian, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE arrested Kibret after he entered the United States on June 21, 2021, on a visa set to expire May 31, 2024. “Against our nation’s laws, he overstayed his visa and failed to depart,” the DHS statement said. “He will remain in ICE custody pending his immigration proceedings.”

The University of Maryland said Kibret holds valid work authorization. “Dr Kibret has a valid work authorization, so it is our hope that any issues surrounding his status will be quickly resolved and that he will be permitted to continue his work at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy,” the institution said, according to CBS.

Calling Kibret “a highly valued member of the University of Maryland, Baltimore community,” the school said it was “greatly troubled” by his arrest. “He is an effective and beloved teacher, and a highly regarded colleague,” the university said. “His detention has generated not only great sympathy for his plight, but also a heightened sense of apprehension here on campus.”

Kibret’s research focuses on how the brain’s cannabinoid system influences mental health, brain disease and the effects of addictive drugs, according to the university’s website. He obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees in science as well as a PhD in Ethiopia, and he completed his postdoctoral fellowship at William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

His detention came after federal authorities in July detained and later released Fatima Ameaka, a Cameroonian citizen with a doctorate in pharmacy who works at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, at the Baltimore/Washington international airport. Documents reviewed by ABC indicated that Ameaka held a work authorization valid through 2029 and had a pending asylum case. ABC reported that DHS had initially said of Ameaka: “In violation of our nation’s laws, she overstayed her visa. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.” Ameaka’s attorney on Sunday confirmed that she had been released from ICE detention.