Supporters of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh have issued urgent calls for his immediate release following his detention by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month. The high-profile case has reignited scrutiny over the harsh immigration enforcement practices currently unfolding across the country.

According to advocacy representatives, the 42-year-old artist—who resides in Alexandria, Virginia—was allegedly unlawfully detained by ICE at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24, 2026. Sheikh reportedly entered the US on a student visa in 2019 to pursue graduate film studies at Georgia State University and subsequently sought asylum in 2020.

The filmmaker is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia. Campaign organizers noted that he was scheduled to appear before an immigration judge for a procedural hearing alongside a bond assessment, though further details of the proceeding remain scarce amid institutional silence.

Officials from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security within the US regime have declined to provide any commentary regarding the circumstances of his detention. This development coincides with a period where enforcement actions by ICE have reportedly surged to record levels, with approximately 50,000 arrests recorded nationwide over the summer months.

Source: www.aljazeera.com