The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia (ACLU) has filed an emergency federal petition. A pregnant Ghanaian woman and her four-year-old son are at the center of the case.
Mother Arrived for Son’s Medical Appointment
Anabella Gyasi, 38, landed at Dulles on May 19, 2026. Her son, name withheld, has hand disabilities. Both hold valid U.S. tourist visas.
Gyasi scheduled a May 30 appointment at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. Doctors planned to evaluate her son for corrective surgery.
CBP Took Family Into Custody
Customs officers questioned Gyasi about her trip. They asked if she feared persecution in Ghana. She answered honestly: yes, because of her son’s disability.
Officers then took her and her son into custody. CBP classified Gyasi as an asylum applicant. The agency then moved to nullify her tourist visa.
“If she hadn’t answered that question honestly, she would have been well on her way to her child’s doctor’s appointment,” said Eden Heilman, legal director of the ACLU of Virginia.
Windowless Room Holds Mother and Child
CBP locked the pregnant Ghanaian woman detained in a windowless room. The room has a single bed, a toilet, and a sink. According to reports, neither received medical screenings upon arrival.
On Friday, Gyasi felt lightheaded because medical staff said officials were not feeding her enough. On Monday, she experienced vaginal bleeding and Doctors attributed the bleeding to high stress. They also confirmed she has high blood pressure. Both times, CBP returned her to the holding room.
Mother Pleaded for Food
On May 23, Gyasi begged officers for food. Her son cried from hunger pains all day. Gyasi feared fainting. Officers denied her request.
Concerned for her unborn child, Gyasi asked for deportation instead. She signed a voluntary deportation order. Only then did CBP offer her food and a shower. She later changed her mind and refused to self-deport.
ACLU Accuses CBP of Breaking the Law
“CBP is breaking the law,” said ACLU attorney Dorna Maryam Movasseghi. “They are putting cruelty before basic human dignity.”
Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson denied the allegations. “Everyone in CBP custody has access to appropriate care,” the department said.
Judge Orders Federal Response
The ACLU filing claims CBP violated Fifth Amendment rights. The emergency petition calls for immediate release. A judge ordered federal officials to show a legal basis for detention by 9 a.m. Thursday.
“No parent should ever be expected to make a choice like that,” Heilman said. “Risk her unborn child’s life to help her son, or return home to unsafe conditions for her son.”
