By Emmanuella Opara | November 12th 2026
KEY POINTS
- Nigerian-born nurse and university professor, Dr Ann Lawani, has been in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since September 16, 2026.
- She was arrested at her home in Lodi, California, and is being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre.
- Her lawyer says an immigration judge granted her withholding of removal to Nigeria in 2013 because of the risk of persecution.
- The US Department of Homeland Security maintains that she has a final removal order and will remain in custody pending removal.
- Her family, university colleagues, nurses’ union and a US congressman have called for her release.
MAIN STORY
A Nigerian-born nurse and university professor, Dr Ann Lawani, has been detained by United States immigration authorities for nearly two months, despite her lawyer’s claim that an earlier immigration ruling barred her removal to Nigeria.
Lawani was arrested by officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at her home in Lodi, California, on September 16, 2026. She was initially taken to a detention facility in Stockton before being transferred through other centres, including one in El Paso, Texas.
She is currently being held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Centre, according to NBC Bay Area.
Lawani is the Statewide ME-MSN Programme Director at the University of San Francisco, where she oversees about 230 nursing students. She also works as a nurse at John Muir Health.
Her academic qualifications include 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 professional experience includes caring for patients with cardiopulmonary conditions, stroke, cystic fibrosis and orthopaedic conditions. Her research focuses on palliative care, advanced cancer care, chronically ill older adults and end-of-life transitions.
The university also identifies her as a mentor to first-generation nursing students and an advocate for diversity and health equity in the profession.
Her immigration case dates back to 2007, when she entered the United States on a visitor visa and subsequently applied for asylum. The Department of Homeland Security said her application was denied in 2013 and that an immigration judge issued a final removal order 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 decision prevented the US government from deporting her to Nigeria. She also said Lawani’s work permit remains valid until April 2029.
The Department of Homeland Security maintained a different position in its response to KCRA 3.
“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 said.
It added, “Work authorisation does not confer legal status in the U.S.”
Lawani’s detention has attracted calls for her release from relatives, colleagues, healthcare workers and elected officials.
Her brother, Samuel Lawani, described her as a dedicated medical professional and appealed for her freedom.
“To simply put it, she is a lifesaver,” he told KCRA 3.
He added, “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, said her continued absence was affecting students, faculty and the institution’s work.
“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.
The National Nurses United also called for her immediate release and return home in a statement issued on Wednesday. The union urged John Muir Health and the University of San Francisco to use their influence to secure her release.
United States Congressman Josh Harder has also asked the Department of Homeland Security to release Lawani and return her to California while her case proceeds.
In a statement issued on November 10, Harder argued that her continued detention was not justified by public safety concerns, citing her record and community ties.
His office said he had written to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin seeking clarification on the country to which the authorities intend to remove Lawani and the basis for her continued detention.
THE ISSUES
The central issue in Lawani’s case is the distinction between a final removal order and a grant of withholding of removal.
While the Department of Homeland Security says an immigration judge issued a final removal order in 2013, her lawyer maintains that the same judge granted protection against deportation to Nigeria because of the risk of persecution.
The two positions leave an important question about the legal basis for her continued detention and the destination to which US authorities intend to remove her.
Her valid work permit, according to her lawyer, is another point in the dispute. However, the department has stressed that work authorisation does not confer immigration status.
The case also has implications for the university and healthcare institutions that rely on her work, particularly given her responsibilities for nursing students and patient care.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“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.”
US Department of Homeland Security.
“Work authorisation does not confer legal status in the U.S.”
US Department of Homeland Security.
“To simply put it, she is a lifesaver.”
Samuel Lawani, her brother.
“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.”
Eileen Fry-Bowers, Dean of the University of San Francisco’s School of Nursing and Health Professions.
“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.”
National Nurses United.
WHAT’S NEXT
Congressman Harder has requested further information from the Department of Homeland Security about Lawani’s proposed country of removal and the grounds for her continued detention.
Her lawyer and supporters are seeking her release, while the department says she will remain in custody pending removal from the United States. The outcome of the legal and administrative proceedings remains unclear.
BOTTOM LINE
The detention of Nigerian-born nurse and professor Ann Lawani has become a dispute over the interpretation of her 2013 immigration ruling, with her lawyer arguing that she cannot be deported to Nigeria while US authorities maintain that a final removal order remains in force.
