Advocates decry detention of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh by ICE in US

What the report says

Advocates are calling for the release of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh after his detention by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Al Jazeera. The Free Arfat Sheikh campaign said Sheikh was taken into custody at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24 and described the arrest as unlawful. The 42-year-old artist lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and entered the United States on a student visa in 2019 to study film at Georgia State University. The campaign also says he sought asylum in 2020.

The group said Sheikh is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia. It added that he was due to appear before an immigration judge for a procedural hearing and bond assessment. Al Jazeera reported that neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security had commented publicly on the detention at the time of publication.

Sheikh is known for his feature film Saffron Kingdom, which the campaign said received recognition at several film festivals and awards events. The case has drawn attention amid a broader rise in ICE arrests across the United States this summer. More generally, immigration detention cases involving artists and activists have often prompted scrutiny from rights groups, especially when asylum claims or long-term residence are involved.