Yekaterina Kuznetsova, a PhD student at Tufts University who was apprehended by US immigration authorities in late March, claims she has experienced multiple asthma attacks since her detention and has faced challenges in getting proper medical attention.
Kuznetsova, 30, was detained by masked officers as she walked in a Boston suburb on March 25th. An F-1 student visa holder, she has received a court order that prevents her deportation without proper legal procedures. Despite this, she remains held at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile.
On Thursday, Kuznetsova’s lawyers filed a petition with the federal court in Vermont, seeking her release or a transfer to Vermont as her case is being heard.
In a declaration attached to the filing, Kuznetsova reported delays in medical care during an asthma attack at the Louisiana facility, as well as being initially denied access to fresh air. She also expressed concerns over cultural sensitivity; when she was finally brought to the medical center, a nurse asked her to remove her hijab, which she refused. The nurse reportedly forcibly removed her hijab, and, despite her medical condition, Kuznetsova was given only ibuprofen.
Kuznetsova further described the unsanitary and overcrowded conditions of her holding cell, which exacerbate her asthma. She points out the presence of a mouse and the lack of adequate hygiene supplies and clean storage for her personal belongings.
Kuznetsova’s case highlights ongoing concerns over the treatment of detainees at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, which has been previously criticized for substandard conditions. An August 2024 report by immigration advocates found that many detainees at the center suffer from neglect in medical care and inadequate living conditions. Additionally, an ACLU complaint from December 2024 cited guards leaving severely afflicted detainees without proper care.
The Basile facility is managed by GEO Group, a private prison corporation with significant federal contracts for immigrant detention centers. The area is roughly 90 miles west of Baton Rouge. This input concerning the treatment of detainees comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over immigrant detention centers and their policies under the current US administration’s immigration strategy.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/10/tufts-student-ice-asthma-attacks
