A Harvard professor fled to her native Russia because she feared social persecution, according to her lawyer, who spoke to AFP on Wednesday. The Trump administration is trying to arrest her.
Kseniia Petrova, a researcher at Harvard Medical School, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ) in February after taking a vacation in France. In accordance with a criminal complaint filed on February 16, Petrova was stopped by customs personnel at a Boston aircraft for reportedly refusing to report the biological specimens she had in her bag. After that, she was informed that her card had been revoked and that she would get sent back to Russia. The state is attempting to arrest Kseniia, Petrova’s attorney Gregory Romanovsky said in an email to AFP. He continued,” She will have an opportunity to present her asylum claim, and we do not anticipate a decision on her deportation case very soon.” Petrova allegedly told the authorities that she feared being detained if she returned to Russia because of her political protest membership, according to the criminal problem. We’ll struggle for Kseniia’s independence and her status as an immigrant in the US, according to Romanovsky. US President Donald Trump has stepped up arrests, including of immigrants in higher education, since his return to the White House in January. The management has taken steps to withdraw visas and deport international students who have participated in demonstrations, alleging they are supporting the Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose October 7, 2023 assault on Israel sparked the conflict. Additionally, it has threatened to freeze funding and additional sanctions against a number of prestigious universities, including Harvard University, causing concerns about declining intellectual freedom.
