1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Demand the release of Kseniia Petrova from ICE custody and the reinstatement of her visa. Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist working for Harvard Medical School, is being held in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana over her failure to declare frog embryos (from France) that her boss requested she collect and bring back to the U.S. This should have resulted in a $500 fine, but instead Customs canceled her visa. Petrova has now been held in detention for over 2 months. ICE has denied her lawyer’s petition for parole twice, claiming Petrova is “a threat to U. S. Security.” She’s no threat! She’s a brilliant genomic researcher who is doing work that benefits the American people. Petrova is in the U.S. because she had to flee Russia after peacefully protesting that country’s invasion of Ukraine. Her life is in danger if she’s sent back to Russia. America is supposed to protect people like her, not cancel their visas and detain them. Kseniia Petrova is in the U.S. legally, is doing work that benefits our country, and is being unlawfully held for a minor infraction. Demand the reinstatement of her visa and her release from detention now!