Nearly Two Months Behind Bars: US-Based Nigerian Nursing Professor Remains in ICE Custody as Immigration Crackdown Continues
By FNA News| Lagos, Nigeria | 12 November 2026
A Nigerian-born nursing professor responsible for training hundreds of future nurses in the United States has spent nearly two months in immigration detention, prompting a growing campaign for her release involving university leaders, American lawmakers and nursing organisations.
Dr Ann Lawani, 39, an assistant professor and nursing programme director at the University of San Francisco (USF), was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 16 September 2026, outside her home in Lodi, California.
She remains at an immigration detention facility in Louisiana, approximately 2,000 miles from her family, despite holding a valid work permit and having legal protection against deportation to Nigeria.
Her detention has disrupted nursing education at the university and attracted the attention of senior political figures, including members of the United States Congress.
The University of San Francisco has now launched an extensive campaign seeking her release, while her lawyers continue to challenge the government’s decision to keep her in custody.
From Nigeria to American Nursing Leadership
Dr Lawani’s journey into nursing academia is one of academic achievement, professional development and dedication to healthcare.
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Originally from Nigeria, she is the first member of her family to graduate from college.
She holds a PhD in Nursing from the University of San Diego, a Master of Science in Nursing specialising in Clinical Nurse Leadership, and a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from California State University, Sacramento.
She joined the University of San Francisco as a professor in 2023 and currently serves as programme director for its Master’s Entry–Master of Science in Nursing programme.
In that position, she oversees approximately 230 nursing students, coordinates 51 faculty members and supports clinical training arrangements involving 38 healthcare sites.
Beyond her academic responsibilities, Dr Lawani is also a practising registered nurse at John Muir Health, with clinical experience in cardiovascular care, stroke management, hospice care and palliative nursing.
Her professional work includes caring for critically ill patients, supporting people approaching the end of life and mentoring future nurses.
According to her university profile, her academic interests include healthcare inequalities, palliative care and the management of chronic illness among older adults.
However, nearly two months after her arrest, her teaching and clinical responsibilities remain interrupted as she awaits the outcome of her immigration proceedings.
University of San Francisco Demands Her Release
In a statement concerning Dr Lawani’s detention, the University of San Francisco confirmed that it has been working to ensure she receives fair treatment and access to legal representation.
The institution said it assisted her family in securing legal support and continues to advocate for her release while the case proceeds.
As a Jesuit Catholic university, USF said its response reflects its institutional commitment to supporting vulnerable people and protecting members of its academic community.
The university described Dr Lawani as an essential member of its nursing faculty whose continued detention has affected students, colleagues and healthcare partners.
USF President Salvador D. Aceves expressed concern about the circumstances of her detention and its consequences for nursing education.
He described her commitment to students and patients as a defining part of her professional identity.
“Our students continue to bear the impact of Ann’s absence, and her knowledge cannot be easily replaced,” he said.
The university president also acknowledged Dr Lawani’s extensive clinical and academic contributions, particularly her dedication to caring for critically ill and terminally ill patients.
He said the university would continue supporting efforts to secure her release.
Nursing Dean Warns of Growing Harm to Students
Dr Eileen Fry-Bowers, dean of USF’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, has also raised concerns about the disruption caused by the professor’s absence.
Fry-Bowers described Dr Lawani as an accomplished nursing professional whose leadership, mentorship and clinical expertise have become important to the institution.
She warned that the consequences extend beyond the immediate interruption of classroom teaching.
According to the dean, Dr Lawani’s continued detention has affected curriculum development required for accreditation, faculty responsibilities and partnerships with healthcare providers serving vulnerable communities.
“Her continued absence causes real and mounting harm to the students and faculty who rely on her mentorship,” Fry-Bowers said.
The nursing dean is personally involved in efforts to secure Lawani’s release on bond, which would allow her to return to her family and professional responsibilities while her immigration case continues.
Fry-Bowers has also established a public petition calling for her release and helped mobilise fundraising support for her legal and family expenses.
Senior US Political Figures Drawn Into the Case
Efforts to secure the Nigerian-born professor’s release have extended beyond the university community.
The University of San Francisco confirmed that Professor Bill Ong Hing, a recognised immigration law scholar, and the university’s School of Law Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic are involved in the case.
USF School of Law Dean Johanna Kalb is also supporting the institution’s response.
California Congressman Josh Harder has taken a leading public role in challenging the detention.
According to the university, his efforts have received assistance from US Senator Adam Schiff and Congressman Kevin Mullin.
USF also confirmed that it has been in contact with several other influential political offices and educational organisations, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Alex Padilla, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon and the office of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.
The university has additionally engaged the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
The contacts reflect efforts to draw institutional and political attention to Dr Lawani’s case, although they do not necessarily establish that every individual contacted has formally endorsed the campaign.
In a public statement on 10 November, Congressman Harder questioned the justification for keeping Dr Lawani in immigration detention, citing her professional contributions, longstanding community ties and lack of reported criminal history.
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He called on the Department of Homeland Security to facilitate her return to California while legal proceedings continue.
Why Is Dr Lawani Being Detained?
Despite the growing calls for her release, US immigration authorities maintain that Dr Lawani is subject to an existing deportation order.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), she entered the United States on a temporary visa in June 2007 but remained after her authorised stay expired.
Her asylum application was subsequently denied, and an immigration judge issued a final removal order in August 2013.
However, her lawyer, Natalia Vieira Santanna, says the same immigration judge granted Dr Lawani withholding of removal to Nigeria after determining that she would more likely than not face persecution if returned to the country.
Under US immigration law, withholding of removal prevents deportation to the country covered by that protection but does not automatically cancel an existing removal order or grant permanent residency.
Her lawyer maintains that she has complied with immigration requirements and holds valid employment authorisation extending until April 2029.
DHS disputes suggestions that the work permit prevents immigration enforcement, maintaining that employment authorisation does not establish lawful immigration status.
The department has stated that she will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.
The legal dispute has since reached a federal court.
On 29 September, a federal judge temporarily blocked her removal while considering her challenge to the detention. The court also rejected an attempt to move the proceedings to Louisiana.
The ruling did not order her immediate release, leaving the central question of her continued detention unresolved.
American Nursing Union Joins Calls for Her Freedom
The controversy has also attracted the attention of National Nurses United, one of the largest nursing unions in the United States.
In a statement released on 11 November, the union demanded Dr Lawani’s immediate release and called for greater institutional support for her case.
It described her as a dedicated nurse and educator whose professional contributions have benefited patients, nursing students and the wider community.
The organisation also expressed concern about immigration detention practices and their consequences for affected families and healthcare professionals.
Her detention has placed additional pressure on her family, particularly her 83-year-old father, for whom she provides care.
Family members have continued to seek her return, while nursing colleagues and supporters have intensified public awareness efforts.
Detention Comes Amid US Nursing Faculty Shortage
Dr Lawani’s case comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns about nursing faculty shortages in the United States.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s 2025 Faculty Vacancy Survey, 863 nursing schools reported a combined 1,588 vacant full-time faculty positions.
The survey identified a national vacancy rate of 7.2%, with approximately 81% of available positions requiring or preferring candidates with doctoral qualifications.
The findings underline the difficulty facing nursing schools attempting to recruit experienced educators and expand training opportunities.
For nursing education stakeholders, the interruption of Dr Lawani’s professional responsibilities raises broader concerns about workforce stability and the implications of immigration enforcement for healthcare institutions.
Although immigration authorities have legal responsibilities to enforce removal orders, the case also raises questions about due process, proportionality and whether continued detention is necessary while legal challenges remain before the courts.
For healthcare institutions, losing a highly qualified educator affects more than staffing numbers. It can disrupt student supervision, curriculum planning, clinical placements and the preparation of future healthcare workers.
These concerns are particularly significant when an affected professional combines advanced academic qualifications with active clinical experience.
Public Petition and Fundraising Campaign Launched
As efforts to secure her release continue, the University of San Francisco community has established public initiatives to support Dr Lawani and her family.
The first is a petition initiated by nursing dean Dr Eileen Fry-Bowers, calling for her release and a review of the circumstances surrounding her detention.
The second is a GoFundMe campaign to assist with urgent legal expenses and the financial pressures affecting her family.
Both initiatives have attracted public support from nursing professionals, students, colleagues and community members.
Supporters are requesting that Dr Lawani be released while her legal proceedings continue, with access to appropriate legal representation and the opportunity to return to her professional responsibilities.
Public support links:
A Wider Question for Nigerian Nurses Abroad
For Fellow Nurses Africa, Dr Lawani’s situation highlights an important issue affecting internationally mobile nursing professionals: the relationship between immigration status, legal protections and the security of professional careers abroad.
Nigerian nurses have established themselves across healthcare systems internationally, contributing to clinical practice, education, research, management and specialist nursing services.
Many invest years in professional development, advanced qualifications and community service while navigating complex immigration systems.
Dr Lawani’s experience illustrates how an unresolved immigration dispute can disrupt a professional career and affect families, institutions and the people who depend on their services.
It also demonstrates the importance of understanding the differences between employment authorisation, immigration status, protection from removal and permanent residency.
Professional qualifications and years of service do not independently determine a person’s immigration rights. At the same time, immigration enforcement decisions must remain subject to applicable legal safeguards and judicial review.
As the case continues, attention remains focused on whether Dr Lawani will be released to rejoin her family, resume her academic responsibilities and continue her work in patient care.
Nearly two months after she was taken into custody, the Nigerian-born professor remains in Louisiana, while her university, nursing colleagues, family and elected representatives continue to seek her release.
Fellow Nurses Africa will continue to monitor developments in the case.
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Fellow Nurses Africa is the independent voice of African nursing, we educate, inform and support nurses across Africa.
Kehinde Oluwatosin is one of the many editors here at Fellow Nurses Africa and fellownurses.com.
He is a registered nurse with a Master of Science degree in healthcare leadership from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Kehinde is passionate about advancing the nursing profession across Africa. As Co-Founder of Fellow Nurses Africa, he plays a key role in shaping editorial direction, ensuring our content educates, informs, and empowers nurses continent-wide.
With expertise in leadership, patient flow, and healthcare operations, Kehinde brings valuable insights to nursing news, career development, and policy discussions. He is committed to amplifying the voice of African nurses and driving positive change in the profession.
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