California Lawmaker Calls for Release of USF Nursing Professor Detained by ICE
A Northern California lawmaker is calling on federal immigration officials to release a University of San Francisco nursing professor after she was detained in September and transferred thousands of miles away to Louisiana.
Rep. Josh Harder, D-Stockton, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Oct. 20, demanding the immediate return of Lodi resident Dr. Ann Lawani — who, Harder said, is living in the U.S. legally under judicial protection.
He also sounded the alarm that Lawani’s whereabouts are not reflected in ICE’s online detainee locator system — as part of a new policy for people with final deportation orders — leaving Lawani’s family and attorney struggling to locate her.
“ICE has also reportedly pursued her removal to an undisclosed third country without providing her or her attorney with the relevant documentation,” Harder wrote. “These circumstances raise serious concerns about due process, transparency, and the justification for her continued detention.”
Lawani, a nurse and educator, oversees 230 nursing students at the University of San Francisco and practices nursing at John Muir Health. She also serves as a caregiver for her 83-year-old father, who is currently hospitalized, according to a statement from USF.
Eileen K. Fry-Bowers, dean of USF’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, said Lawani was deeply embedded in the university community.
“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.
In his letter, Harder called Lawani’s continued detention unjustified, citing her lack of criminal history, longstanding compliance and strong ties to her community. He said the case raises broad questions about the department’s priorities, such as why significant taxpayer resources are used to target and transport people like Lawani.
“Her case illustrates the troubling consequences of an enforcement approach that fails to adequately distinguish between individuals who threaten our communities and those who help sustain them,” Harder wrote.
He asked ICE to release Lawani under an order of supervision and arrange her immediate return to California. He also requested that DHS provide Lawani and her attorney with information about her proposed country of removal, supporting travel documents and an explanation for her continued detention.
Lawani’s detention has also raised concerns at USF, where her absence has disrupted campus operations and affected nursing students and faculty. An email from USF President Salvador Aceves on Tuesday said that while Lawani and her family initially wanted to keep her detention private, they would now like the community to know.
Her brother, Samuel Lawani, also called for her return, describing her as an accomplished nurse, educator and caregiver whose work has a significant impact on patients and students.
“My family and I want to see my sister returned home safely and as soon as possible,” he said.
Lawani’s story was featured this morning in The New York Times, as part of an expose on new deportation policies that make it possible for public ICE detainee databases to exclude thousands of immigrants and expedite their deportation.