Renowned Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh has been detained by the US Immigration authorities "without a warrant" at an airport. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on September 24, took Sheikh into custody after he arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on a flight from California.

According to the US Department of Homeland Security, Sheikh had “legally entered the US on a temporary basis and illegally overstayed his lawful admittance". The DHS confirmed the arrest of Sheikh, claiming that a pending immigration application does not grant a legal status to reside in the US.

Meanwhile, Sheikh’s family and friends said that an asylum application was filed by him in 2020 and that he had a pending immigration case. They claim he had been authorised to live and work in the US.

‘Free Arfat’ campaign

Sheikh’s family and close acquaintances have launched a “Free Arfat Sheikh Campaign”, questioning his detention by the ICE. Sharing a post on X, it said, “Arfat entered the United States legally on a student visa to pursue graduate studies in film at Georgia State University and filed for asylum in 2020. Sheikh has a pending immigration application and is here legally, authorised to live and work in the United States." The grounds of his asylum application have not been disclosed yet.

It also released a video of Sheikh being detained by ICE agents at Dulles Airport. The campaign is seeking to raise 50,000 dollars to pay for his legal representation.

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Detained Even After Showing Documents

Sheikh, 42, residing in Alexandria, Virginia, was reportedly travelling to Washington with award-winning author and filmmaker Tara Dorabji for participating in an event on art and resistance when he was taken into immigration custody.

Sheikh was surrounded and detained by the ICE authorities moments after stepping out of his flight, the Independent reported. His co-traveller, Dorabji, in a statement, narrated the events surrounding Sheikh's detention. "As I got off the plane, I walked by Arfat, without realising that he had been pulled aside on the jetway. Arfat called out to me, and I turned around. He was surrounded by numerous men."

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"Arfat said to me, "Tara, Tara. This is ICE. They have come for me. "The men were in plain clothes and not wearing any uniforms that indicated that they were federal agents. During the entire interaction, I never saw any of the men present a warrant or say why they were taking Arfat. They took Arfat Sheikh off the jetway onto the tarmac. He did not resist," she added.

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