US ICE releases Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh from custody
Award-winning filmmaker, detained last month, is released on bond with next hearing set for October 27, campaign says.
United States immigration officials detained Arfat Sheikh, an award-winning filmmaker from Kashmir, on suspicion of residing and working in the country illegally. Sheikh was apprehended upon his arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24, according to friends and relatives who claim his detention is unlawful and are demanding his release.
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Reuters that Sheikh legally entered the US on a temporary basis and overstayed his visa. Sheikh, 42, arrived in the US in 2019 on a student visa and later applied for asylum in 2020, having a pending immigration application. He was authorized to work and live in the US, though the reason for his asylum claim was not disclosed.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that Sheikh would receive due process, but a pending application does not grant legal residency status. US President Donald Trump's administration has been implementing an aggressive immigration crackdown, aiming to revoke non-immigrant visas of foreigners who claim to be temporary visitors but file for asylum to stay permanently.
The number of ICE arrests surged to a record high in August, with approximately 51,000 recorded. Critics argue that the crackdown has violated due process, free speech rights, and created an unsafe environment, particularly for ethnic minorities.
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