Nigerian nurse and University of San Francisco professor Ann Lawani has been held by US immigration authorities for nearly two months

Nigerian-born nurse and university professor, Dr Ann Lawani, has been held in United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention for nearly two months following her arrest at her home in Lodi, California, on September 16, 2026.

Also read: China Accuses US of Using Spy Claims to Block Tech Progress

Lawani is the Statewide ME-MSN Programme Director at the University of San Francisco, where she oversees approximately 230 nursing students.

She also works as a registered nurse at John Muir Health, according to a report by KQED.

She holds a PhD in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing in Clinical Nurse Leadership from the University of San Diego, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration from California State University, Sacramento.

Her clinical experience includes caring for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions, stroke, cystic fibrosis and orthopaedic conditions in acute care and hospice settings.

According to her university profile, Lawani’s research focuses on palliative care, healthcare use among patients with advanced cancer, support for chronically ill older adults and end-of-life care.

She also mentors first-generation nursing students and advocates diversity and health equity in the nursing profession.

ICE agents arrested her at her Lodi residence on September 16 and initially took her to a detention facility in Stockton, California.

She was subsequently transferred through several facilities, including one in El Paso, Texas, before being moved to the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre, where she remains detained, NBC Bay Area reported.

Lawani’s immigration case dates back to 2007, when she entered the United States on a visitor visa and later applied for asylum.

The US Department of Homeland Security said her asylum application was denied in 2013 and that an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on August 6 of that year.

However, her lawyer, Natalia Vieira Santanna, told KCRA 3 that the judge also granted Lawani withholding of removal to Nigeria after determining that she was more likely than not to face persecution if returned to the country.

Santanna said the ruling prevented the US government from deporting her client to Nigeria.

She also said Lawani’s work permit remains valid until April 2029.

The Department of Homeland Security maintained that Lawani had received due process and that a final removal order remained in force.

“She received due process and was issued a final order of removal on August 6, 2013. She will remain in ICE custody pending removal from the United States,” the department told KCRA 3.

It added that work authorisation did not confer legal immigration status in the country.

Her continued detention has prompted appeals from her family, university colleagues, a nurses’ union and elected officials.

Her brother, Samuel Lawani, described her as a dedicated healthcare professional, saying, “To simply put it, she is a lifesaver.”

He added that he was prepared to do everything possible to secure her release, saying, “I will move the earth if possible to make sure she gets out of there.”

The dean of the University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, Eileen Fry-Bowers, also raised concerns about the effect of Lawani’s absence on the institution and its students.

“Her continued absence causes real and mounting harm to the students and faculty who rely on her mentorship, to our accreditation-mandated curriculum work, and to the safety-net partnerships she has built,” Fry-Bowers said, according to KQED.

National Nurses United also called for her immediate release and return to California in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“Ann Lawani represents the best of us: a hardworking, dedicated nurse who committed herself fully to her education and profession and is beloved by her patients, her students, and her community,” the union said.

The organisation urged John Muir Health and the University of San Francisco to use their influence to help secure her release.

United States Congressman Josh Harder has also appealed to the Department of Homeland Security to release Lawani and allow her to return to California while her case proceeds.

In a statement issued on November 10, Harder cited her long-standing compliance with immigration requirements, lack of criminal history and strong community ties as reasons for questioning her continued detention.

“Given her longstanding compliance, lack of criminal history, and substantial community ties, there is no apparent public safety justification for keeping Dr Lawani detained thousands of miles from home while her case proceeds,” he said.

Also read: China Accuses US of Using Spy Claims to Block Tech Progress

Harder’s office also disclosed that the congressman had written to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, requesting details about the country to which the government intends to remove Lawani and the legal basis for her continued detention.