Judge rules detained pregnant woman and son cannot spend another night at Dulles Airport
A federal judge ordered on Friday that a pregnant woman and her 4-year-old son from Ghana cannot spend another night at a Washington, D.C.-area airport where they have been detained for more than a week.
Anabella Gyasi arrived at Dulles International Airport on May 19 with a valid tourist visa to bring her son to the United States for medical treatment, and she had been detained in a holding room by Customs and Border Protection since then, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
ACLU-VA Executive Director Mary Bauer hailed the ruling, saying, "Today the court ordered in no uncertain terms that Ms. Gyasi and her son are not to spend another night in Dulles Airport."
"Ms. Gyasi's health and the viability of her pregnancy have both been endangered for more than a week as a result of the Trump administration's dangerous and unlawful detention practices," Bauer said, referring to the administration's ongoing immigration crackdown.
"While we're relieved that Ms. Gyasi and her son will soon be free from this nightmare, no one should be subjected to the inhumane conditions they endured," Bauer added.
Gyasi and her son were heading back to Ghana on Friday, a person familiar with the case told ABC News.
The ACLU filed a habeas petition for Gyasi and her son on Tuesday, alleging they are being detained "despite long-standing regulations and policies requiring that certain at-risk individuals, such as pregnant women and children, be released." The petition also pointed to a court settlement that requires children to be transferred out of detention within 72 hours.
The 38-year-old mother first brought her son to the U.S. in 2024, when he was 2 years old, to see a specialist for physical abnormalities affecting both of his hands, according to the habeas petition. At that appointment, Gyasi was told her son was too young for corrective surgery.
Earlier this month, Gyasi scheduled a pre-operation appointment at a children's hospital in Ohio and planned on traveling with the same tourist visa she had previously used, according to her lawyers.
A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed to ABC News on Thursday that Gyasi was in CBP custody at Dulles and said she "will remain in custody pending her immigration hearing."
The DHS spokesperson called the allegations about the conditions of her detention as "false."
"Everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food," DHS said.
