Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh detained by US immigration
Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh has been detained by US immigration authorities after travelling to the country legally to pursue his studies and later applying for asylum, according to his family and friends. The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Sheikh was arrested on September 24. DHS said he had legally entered the United States temporarily but later overstayed…
Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was detained by US immigration authorities on September 24, after legally entering the country to pursue his studies and later applying for asylum. The US Department of Homeland Security confirmed Sheikh's arrest, stating that he had legally entered the United States temporarily but overstayed his authorized period of admission.
The department emphasized that a pending immigration application does not provide legal status in the US, and Sheikh would receive due process. Sheikh was detained at Washington Dulles International Airport upon arrival from California.
Sheikh entered the US in 2019 on a student visa to study film at Georgia State University and filed an asylum application in 2020. Supporters claim he had a pending immigration application and was authorized to live and work in the US. Born in Kashmir, Sheikh gained recognition for his film 'Saffron Kingdom', which won several awards including Best Feature Film at the Chicago Filmmakers Awards.
His detention aligns with a broader US immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump's administration, as the administration sought to identify and revoke non-immigrant visas of foreign nationals who entered temporarily and later applied for asylum.
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