1 day ago
Kashmiri Filmmaker Arfat Sheikh Reportedly Detained by ICE
Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was reportedly taken into custody by immigration agents at Dulles airport.
His companion, filmmaker Tara Dorabji, said the men were not wearing uniforms.
She said they did not show her a warrant or explain why they were taking him.
Dorabji said Sheikh did not resist.
They had been travelling to Washington for an event about art and resistance.
Sheikh made a film called Saffron Kingdom about the stories of his people.
Friends and acquaintances have started a campaign asking for his release.
The article does not include a response from immigration authorities.
Filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was reportedly detained by ICE agents at Dulles after a flight from San Francisco on September 24.
Filmmaker Tara Dorabji said Sheikh was surrounded by men in plain clothes who did not show a warrant or explain why they were taking him.
Dorabji said Sheikh did not resist as agents took him from the jetway onto the tarmac.
The pair were travelling to Washington, DC, for an event called “Art as Resistance” at Busboys and Poets.
A campaign seeking Sheikh’s release says he came to the United States as a student in 2019 and filed for asylum in 2020.
- Who
- Kashmiri-born filmmaker Arfat Sheikh; filmmaker Tara Dorabji witnessed the reported detention.
- What
- Sheikh was reportedly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
- Where
- Dulles airport, after a flight from San Francisco.
- When
- September 24; the article does not specify the year.
- Why
- The article does not state why agents detained him; Dorabji said they did not explain it.
Key facts
- Reportedly detained
- Arfat Sheikh
- Agency identified
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- Date
- September 24; year not specified in the article
- Flight route
- San Francisco International Airport to Dulles
- Witness
- Filmmaker Tara Dorabji
- Planned event
- “Art as Resistance” at Busboys and Poets in Washington, DC
- U.S. arrival and asylum filing
- The campaign says Sheikh arrived as a student in 2019 and filed for asylum in 2020.
Quotes
Tara Dorabji
Filmmaker travelling with Arfat Sheikh who described the airport incident.
“It is devastating that someone who spent years bringing stories of human rights violations in war-torn regions to international audiences is in ICE detention, facing the conditions Arfat has dedicated his life to end.”
indianexpress.com
“Arfat said to me, ‘Tara, Tara. This is ICE. They have come for me.’”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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