Brief
Advocates demand release of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh detained by ICE
Supporters of filmmaker Arfat Sheikh urge his release after ICE detained him at Washington Dulles Airport on Sept. 24.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Advocates say Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Washington Dulles International Airport on Sept. 24, 2026. The Free Arfat Sheikh campaign, which represents his supporters, called the detention unlawful and demanded his immediate release.
Sheikh, a 42‑year‑old resident of Alexandria, Virginia, arrived in the United States on a student visa in 2019 to study film at Georgia State University and applied for asylum in 2020. He is being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, pending a procedural hearing and bond assessment before an immigration judge.
The campaign highlighted Sheikh’s award‑winning debut feature, Saffron Kingdom, and his 2025 Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award. It noted that ICE arrests nationwide reached a summer record of about 50,000 in July and August.
Key facts
- Arfat Sheikh was detained by ICE at Washington Dulles Airport on Sept. 24, 2026. (aljazeera.com)
- Sheikh is being held at Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia. (aljazeera.com)
- He arrived on a student visa in 2019 and sought asylum in 2020. (aljazeera.com)
- ICE arrests across the U.S. hit a summer record of about 50,000 in July‑August 2026. (aljazeera.com)
Sources
- [1] aljazeera.com — originally reported as “Advocates decry detention of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh by ICE in US”
