Overview

• Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard Medical School, was detained on February 16 after failing to declare frog embryo samples upon returning from France.
• Her visa was revoked by US Customs and Border Protection, a decision her attorney argues was disproportionate to the customs violation, which typically results in a fine.
• Petrova expressed fear of political persecution if deported to Russia due to her anti-war stance and a prior arrest in 2022 for protesting the Ukraine invasion.
• She is currently held at an ICE detention facility in Louisiana, with an asylum hearing scheduled for May 7, while her legal team seeks to expedite a federal court challenge to her visa revocation.
• Advocacy efforts, including a GoFundMe campaign, have raised significant funds to support Petrova's legal and personal expenses as her case draws attention to stricter immigration policies under the current administration.