Pregnant woman, child detained at Dulles Airport to be deported to Ghana

A pregnant woman from Ghana, Anabella Gyasi, and her 4-year-old son with disabilities have been held for over a week in a windowless detention room at Washington Dulles International Airport, where officials deny providing adequate care despite medical warnings about her pregnancy and the boy’s health. A federal judge ordered their release on May 30, 2026, after lawyers described conditions as “inhumane” and linked to a Trump administration executive order targeting birthright citizenship.

Who Is Anabella Gyasi, and Why Was She Detained?

Anabella Gyasi, 38, traveled to the U.S. with her son, G.O.O., on a valid tourist visa to seek medical treatment for his malformed hands at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio. The pair had previously visited the U.S. in 2024 for evaluations but returned to Ghana when doctors deemed G.O.O. too young for surgery. This time, Gyasi booked a May 30, 2026, appointment for a reassessment—only to be detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) upon arrival at Dulles Airport on May 19. According to the ACLU of Virginia, CBP questioned her asylum claims after she disclosed fears of persecution in Ghana due to her son’s disability. The agency then nullified her visa, classified her as an asylum seeker, and initiated expedited removal proceedings.

Gyasi’s detention became a flashpoint when lawyers revealed she had been held in a room with no windows, a single bed, and no access to proper meals or medical care. Despite two hospitalizations for pregnancy complications—including vaginal bleeding and lightheadedness—she was returned to detention each time. Doctors at one visit expressed concern that she was “not eating enough” and was “over-stressed,” according to court documents cited by the ACLU. When Gyasi pleaded for food, CBP officers denied her request until she signed a deportation order, at which point she was given meals and a shower.

Medical Crisis: How Detention Endangered Gyasi’s Pregnancy

Gyasi’s health deteriorated rapidly under detention. She is nearly 20 weeks pregnant and has experienced symptoms indicating “complications,” according to Eden Heilman, legal director for the ACLU of Virginia. In a statement to WTOP, Heilman described her condition as “getting more and more complicated,” while hospital staff warned that her stress and malnutrition posed risks to her unborn child. The ACLU’s emergency petition to federal court framed the detention as “dangerous and unlawful,” directly linking it to a Trump administration executive order aimed at restricting birthright citizenship—a policy critics argue has led to a surge in detentions of pregnant migrants.

cluster (priority): ACLU of Virginia

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rejected allegations of mistreatment in a statement: “Everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food.” Yet lawyers and court records paint a starkly different picture. Gyasi’s son, G.O.O., spent days crying from hunger, and she herself feared fainting. When she told officers she would rather be deported than denied food, CBP officers allowed her to sign a deportation order—only to then provide meals. This sequence, the ACLU argues, reveals a pattern of coercion and neglect.

For more on this story, see NAACP Applauds Pregnant Women in Custody Act.

Legal Battle: How a Judge Intervened After 10 Days

The ACLU’s emergency petition to U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema on May 29, 2026, accused CBP of violating Gyasi’s rights and endangering her pregnancy. The judge responded swiftly, issuing an order the following day that barred Gyasi and her son from spending another night in detention. “The court ordered in no uncertain terms that Ms. Gyasi and her son are not to spend another night in Dulles Airport,” Mary Bauer, executive director of the ACLU of Virginia, said in a statement. “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.”

The ACLU’s legal team highlighted that Gyasi had followed all procedural rules—she entered on a valid visa and disclosed her asylum fears only after CBP questioned her. Yet the agency retroactively classified her as an asylum seeker and initiated removal proceedings, a move the ACLU called “unlawful.” Sophia Gregg, senior immigrants’ rights attorney at the ACLU of Virginia, framed Gyasi’s case as part of a broader trend: “She is just one of a number of pregnant people who’ve been detained in shocking numbers in the wake of President Trump’s executive order trying to end birthright citizenship—and it has to stop.”

Broader Context: Pregnant Migrants and the Birthright Citizenship Debate

Gyasi’s detention coincides with a surge in detentions of pregnant migrants, which activists and legal experts link to a 2024 executive order by former President Donald Trump aimed at restricting birthright citizenship. The order, which remains in legal limbo, has emboldened immigration enforcement agencies to target pregnant women, arguing that their presence in the U.S. could lead to claims of U.S.-born children. Critics, including the ACLU, argue that such policies exploit vulnerable populations, particularly those seeking medical care for themselves or their children.

cluster (priority): WTOP

The case also raises questions about CBP’s handling of asylum claims. Under U.S. law, individuals who express a fear of persecution at the border are entitled to an asylum screening. Gyasi’s lawyers argue that CBP violated this process by detaining her without providing adequate access to legal counsel or medical care. The ACLU’s petition cited a 2024 court ruling that barred prolonged detentions of pregnant women, yet Gyasi was held for over a week despite her pregnancy complications.

What Happens Next? Uncertainty Over Gyasi’s Future

While Gyasi and her son were released from detention on May 30, their legal status remains precarious. CBP has not confirmed whether they will be allowed to proceed with their medical appointment in Ohio or face expedited removal. The ACLU’s Bauer warned that “we don’t know when [removal proceedings] will happen,” leaving Gyasi in limbo. Her lawyers are now pushing for temporary protected status or asylum approval, arguing that her fears of persecution in Ghana—where her son’s disability has made them targets—are well-founded.

The case also spotlights systemic issues in U.S. immigration enforcement. Gyasi’s detention mirrors reports from other pregnant migrants, including a Maryland woman detained by ICE in 2025 who described harsh conditions. The ACLU’s Gregg framed the situation as a “human rights crisis,” urging Congress to overturn Trump’s executive order and restore protections for pregnant migrants. For now, Gyasi’s story serves as a stark reminder of how immigration policies can intersect with medical emergencies—and the human cost when they fail.

One thing is clear: This is not an isolated incident. The ACLU’s statement explicitly ties Gyasi’s case to a broader pattern of detentions targeting pregnant women, suggesting that her release may be temporary unless legal or policy changes intervene. As of May 30, 2026, the focus remains on whether CBP will comply with the judge’s order—or if Gyasi and her son will face further threats to their safety and health.