Pregnant Ghanaian Woman Detained at US Airport for Days, Signs Deportation Papers Amid Health Fears

A pregnant woman from Ghana and her young son have been held in detention at Washington Dulles International Airport for more than a week, facing serious health concerns and allegedly inhumane treatment, according to lawyers representing them. Annabella Gyasi, over four months pregnant, arrived at the airport last Tuesday with her four-year-old son, who requires medical assessment for a congenital condition.

Gyasi and her son were traveling to Ohio for the boy's medical appointment, which was scheduled for May 30 at Akron Children's Hospital. However, they were detained by US Customs and Border Protection officials instead of proceeding to their connecting flight. The family had previously visited the US for the child's treatment but returned to Ghana when doctors advised he was too young for surgery.

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Ms. Gyasi legally traveled to the US to get necessary medical care for her son, but the illegal detention and inhumane treatment that she’s experiencing at Dulles is endangering her son’s health as well as her own

According to an emergency court petition filed by the ACLU of Virginia, Gyasi expressed fears of persecution in Ghana for herself and her son, which lawyers state led to her detention. The filing alleges that Gyasi has been hospitalized twice due to pregnancy complications, including vaginal bleeding and light-headedness, but was returned to the detention facility afterward. Doctors reportedly raised concerns about her inadequate food intake and stress levels, and requests for additional food for both mother and child were allegedly denied.

Facing these conditions and fearing for her unborn baby's health, Gyasi reportedly signed deportation paperwork, a decision her legal team described as made out of desperation. The Department of Homeland Security has rejected the allegations of mistreatment, stating in a release that "Everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food." Immigration officials contend that Gyasi could not use a tourist visa as she had indicated an intent to seek asylum and not return to Ghana.

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These allegations are false. Everyone in CBP custody, including this individual, has access to appropriate care, including medical evaluation by a doctor, medication, and food.