A pregnant Ghanaian woman and her four-year-old son have reportedly been detained for more than a week at Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States despite travelling on valid tourist visas for medical treatment.
According to an adomonline.com report on May 28, 2026, an emergency petition filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, 38-year-old Anabella Gyasi arrived in the US on May 19, 2026, with her son, identified in court filings as G.O.O., who suffers from a hand disability.
The petition stated that Gyasi had secured a May 30, 2026, appointment at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio, where doctors were expected to assess whether the child qualified for corrective surgery.
Both reportedly held tourist visas valid until April 2028.
However, upon arrival at Washington Dulles International Airport, officials from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) allegedly questioned the purpose of their visit and placed them in detention.
The ACLU claimed the mother and son have since been confined to a windowless holding room containing only a bed, toilet and sink.
According to court filings, Gyasi was taken to hospital twice after suffering vaginal bleeding and dizziness.
Medical personnel reportedly confirmed her pregnancy and high blood pressure, while noting that she was not eating adequately and was under severe stress before she was returned to CBP custody.
The petition further alleged that on May 23, 2026, Gyasi pleaded with officers to allow her to purchase food after her son spent much of the day crying from hunger while she feared she would faint. The request was allegedly denied.
Fearing for the safety of her unborn child, she reportedly signed a deportation order after telling officers she would rather return to Ghana than remain without proper food and care.
According to the filing, she was then allowed to eat and shower.
The ACLU of Virginia has filed an emergency petition in the Eastern District of Virginia seeking the immediate release of Gyasi and her son, arguing that their detention violates constitutional protections and US law.
“Ms. Gyasi secured the necessary visas for her son’s medical appointment, and by detaining them in dangerous conditions anyway, CBP is breaking the law and putting the Trump administration’s cruel anti-immigrant agenda before basic human dignity and the Constitution,” said ACLU-VA Immigrants’ Rights Attorney Dorna Maryam Movasseghi.
The case comes amid increasing scrutiny over the treatment of pregnant migrants at US borders following immigration policies introduced under former President Donald Trump.
According to the ACLU, Gyasi and her family had previously travelled to the United States for medical consultations regarding her son’s condition when he was younger, but doctors at the time concluded he was too young for surgery.
“CBP has put Ms. Gyasi in an impossible position: either risk her own and the life of her unborn child to improve her young son’s life, or return home to ensure safe conditions for her pregnancy but unsafe conditions for her son,” ACLU-VA Legal Director, Eden Heilman said.