Attorneys for the Justice Department said Wednesday that they plan to deport a Harvard Medical School researcher back to Russia, despite her fear of being returned to her home country where she said she faced past persecution for her political activities.
During a habeas hearing on Wednesday, a federal judge in Vermont pressed the DOJ on the government's decision to revoke Kseniia Petrova's visa after the Harvard researcher was detained at a Boston airport in February when a Customs and Border Protection officer found undeclared "noninfectious and non-toxic frog embryos" in her luggage.
Petrova, according to a complaint filed in February, told the CBP officer that she feared being returned to Russia, where she faced past persecution for her political activities, and instead requested to be returned to France — at which point she was detained.
During the hearing, Judge Reiss asked Hartman on what authority did the CBP seek to revoke Petrova's visa.
In response, Hartman said that Petrova lied about the embryos when she was questioned by CBP.
Judge Reiss said she didn't see the argument made by DOJ as grounds for removal.
Posted by John3262005
1 Comment
Anti-immigrant freaks wrapping themselves in the flag will never make sense to me.
Imagine poaching a fucking scientist from your geopolitical adversary, and then saying “nah, we’re good. Get fucked nerd”.
Every day my contempt for the median voter reaches new highs.