Additional Coverage:
A federal judge has ruled that a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old son from Ghana cannot be held any longer at a Washington, D.C.-area airport where they have been detained for over a week.
Anabella Gyasi arrived at Dulles International Airport on May 19 with a valid tourist visa, intending to bring her son to the United States for medical treatment. Since then, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had kept them confined in a holding room, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Mary Bauer, Executive Director of ACLU Virginia, praised the court’s decision, stating, “Today the court ordered in no uncertain terms that Ms. Gyasi and her son are not to spend another night in Dulles Airport.” Bauer emphasized that Gyasi’s health and the viability of her pregnancy had been at risk due to what she described as “dangerous and unlawful detention practices” under the current administration’s immigration enforcement.
While expressing relief that Gyasi and her son would soon be released from this ordeal, Bauer condemned the inhumane conditions they endured during their detention.
Sources familiar with the case told ABC News that Gyasi and her son planned to return to Ghana on Friday.
The ACLU had filed a habeas corpus petition on Tuesday on their behalf, arguing that longstanding regulations mandate the release of vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women and children. The petition also referenced a court settlement requiring that children be transferred out of detention within 72 hours.
Gyasi, 38, first brought her son to the U.S. in 2024 for specialist care addressing physical abnormalities affecting both his hands. At that time, doctors advised that he was too young for corrective surgery. Earlier this month, she scheduled a pre-operation appointment at a children’s hospital in Ohio and sought to travel using the same tourist visa.
A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed Gyasi’s detention at Dulles but stated she would remain in custody pending her immigration hearing. The DHS spokesperson denied claims regarding poor detention conditions, asserting that everyone in CBP custody receives appropriate medical care, medication, and food.