A Russian Harvard scientist was hurled into ICE custody after she was asked to transport frog embryos from France.
Kseniia Petrova was seized at Boston’s Logan Airport in Massachusetts on February 16 because she was carrying the animal samples principal research scientist Leonid Peshkin had asked her to transport by hand.
The embryos were initially intended to be sent in the mail, but after packaging errors, Petrova decided to bring samples back after a vacation.
‘I made a mistake,’ Peshkin told the Boston Globe. ‘I regret very much doing this.’
There seemed to have been a paperwork error when declaring the embryos at customs, which resulted in Petrova’s initial detainment at the airport.
After she was questioned and held by US Customs and Border Protection, she was transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Petrova, who was in the US on a visa, was held at a detainment center in Vermont before she was sent to a center in Louisiana.
Peshkin told the Globe that the frog embryo samples were key to their work in studying how genes are used in organisms.
Kseniia Petrova is a research scientist at Harvard Medical School who was detained by ICE on February 16 for not properly declaring frog embryo samples, which she was bringing back to her lab
Petrova was detained at Logan International Airport in Boston Massachusetts by US Customs and Border Protection and was then transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody
Principal research scientist Leonid Peshkin said he regretted asking Petrova to bring back the embryo samples and is speaking with his colleague in ICE detainment every day
The research scientist added that human and rodent samples can be difficult to work with, so the team opted for frog embryos.
When they attempted to ship the samples, the package turned up ‘defrosted, mishandled, and lost.’
Petrova’s France trip to see pianist András Schiff offered the perfect opportunity for her to safely transport the samples herself.
Peshkin said she was not trying to conceal anything and had stored the samples in a ‘sizable box with ice packs.’
What happened next was a series of unforeseen nightmarish events that resulted in Petrova’s detainment.
‘She had these two weeks of high art and museums in Paris and came back to jail,’ Peshkin said in his interview with the Globe.
He told the publication that he talks to Petrova every day and she is currently held in an ICE dormitory with 70 other women.
Her meals are inconsistent and she struggles to sleep, but her colleagues are attempting to help her find solace by sending her books and offering support.
Petrova’s lawyer said it wasn’t illegal to transport the embryos, but a paperwork error resulted in her questioning and further detainment by CBP
Peshkin said the embryos were vital to their research and Petrova wasn’t attempting to conceal the samples when she flew back to the US from France
‘It’s a misunderstanding and a mistake, and she should be back at work working on cures and conducting biomedical research not learning to play basketball in a detention center in Louisiana,’ Peshkin said.
Boston-based immigration lawyer, Gregory Romanovsky, has been hired to represent Petrova.
Romanovsky is arguing that Petrova’s mistake when declaring the embryos is typically a $500 fine and CBP overstepped by detaining her.
Petrova had previously been arrested in Russia in 2022 for protesting her country’s invasion of Ukraine, making it impossible for her to return.
After she was detained, CBP instructed her to either return to France and apply for a visa or be deported and banned from the US for five years.
When Petrova explained that she feared political prosecution if she returned to Russia due to her 2022 arrest, CBP decided to detain her in ICE custody.
‘There is nothing that indicates that a customs violation makes you inadmissible to the United States,’ Romanovsky told the Globe.
‘They had no business canceling Kseniya’s visa, but they think that they have absolute unlimited authority to do whatever they want.’
Romanovsky filed a petition on February 23 arguing that it was unlawful for CBP to revoke her immigration status since she did not violate the terms of her visa.
CBP followed a process called ‘expedited removal,’ which is typically reserved for those who enter the US without proper documents or through fraudulent means.
Romanovsky said in an interview with The Harvard Crimson that there was no cause for CBP to follow expedited removal process in Petrova’s case.
He added that the petition was a ‘Hail Mary’ and that he didn’t have high hopes given the CBP’s discretion in the law.
Her lawyer also filed a petition for asylum given Petrova’s fear of political persecution if she returns to Russia.
‘She cannot return to Russia without being jailed or harmed,’ Romanovsky told the Crimson.
‘It’s going to be a suicide for her to go back.’
Romanovsky also submitted a request for Petrova to be released on parole, which was denied on March 14.
Petrova is a research associate at Harvard Medical School who was hailed by her colleagues for her expertise
Petrova’s friends and co-workers at Harvard wrote letters in support of her and are advocating for her release from ICE custody
Petrova’s colleagues at Harvard also submitted letters vouching for her alongside the parole request, but Romanovsky told the Crimson that he didn’t believe they were considered.
Even though Petrova’s impressive resume and visa status would make her an easy candidate for parole, the Trump Administration’s strict immigration policy has made it difficult to release detainees.
‘It all falls on deaf ears. They’re not releasing many people, if anyone, at the moment,’ Romanovsky told the Crimson.
Petrova’s shocking ICE detainment has left her friends and colleagues at Harvard riddled with fear.
Peshkin told the Globe that he’s been in constant contact with Petrova, who he said wasn’t doing great in the detention center but is attempting to stay cheerful.
‘She is hoping to be released and to return to work. Her work is her life. She came here to pursue her dreams,’ he said.
Her lab manager Michael Gage told the Globe that she was a ‘great find’ and had a ‘combination of complex skills’ in embryology, bioinformation, and data science.
‘Not only is she a brilliant computer programmer and scientist, she is full of wonder, enthusiasm, and creativity in every aspect of how she conducts her science,’ Gage said.
‘She is a continuous positive influence in the lab and is always kind, caring, and full of joy.’
‘In short, she is a truly remarkable and wonderful person who is deeply missed at Harvard while we await her return,’ he added.
Petrova’s colleagues said it was her ‘dream’ to work in science and she was passionate about her work at Harvard
Petrova’s friends launched a GoFundMe to help her pay legal expenses and support herself while she is out of work
Petrova’s friends have set up a GoFundMe to help raise money for her legal expenses and basic needs as she can’t work without her visa.
The Russian scientist is scheduled to appear in front of a judge at a preliminary hearing on May 7.
A spokesperson for Harvard Medical School confirmed to DailyMail.com that Petrova is a research associate, which is a paid position, and they are currently ‘monitoring the situation.’
DailyMail.com reached out to ICE, Romanovsky, and Peshkin for comment but didn’t immediately hear back.
