The Chronicle has sighted a statement published on the website of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Virginia alleging that a pregnant Ghanaian woman and her four-year-old disabled son have been held in what lawyers describe as “inhumane conditions” at Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States for more than a week.
According to the ACLU statement, Anabella Gyasi and her son, identified only as G.O.O., have been confined in a windowless holding room at Dulles Airport since arriving from Ghana on May 19, 2026.
The rights group said the woman and her son were detained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) after immigration officers questioned the purpose of their trip to the United States.
The ACLU said Ms. Gyasi had legally travelled to the United States to seek medical evaluation and possible corrective surgery for her son, who was born with physical disabilities affecting the use of his hands.
The organisation disclosed that Ms. Gyasi had secured valid tourist visas for herself and her son, which expire in April 2028, as well as a medical appointment scheduled for May 30 at Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio.
In an emergency petition filed before the Eastern District of Virginia federal court, the ACLU accused CBP officials of illegally detaining the Ghanaian woman and exposing both mother and child to unsafe and degrading conditions.
The petition alleged that Ms. Gyasi and her son were locked in a small room containing only a single bed, toilet and sink, without adequate food, hygiene or medical care.
According to the filing, Ms. Gyasi, who is pregnant, suffered vaginal bleeding and episodes of lightheadedness during detention and was twice transported to a nearby hospital.
Hospital staff reportedly confirmed her pregnancy and high blood pressure, and expressed concerns that she was not eating enough and was under severe stress.
Despite the medical concerns, she was allegedly returned to detention at the airport facility.
The ACLU further claimed that on May 23, Ms. Gyasi pleaded with officers to allow her to purchase food for herself and her son because the child was crying from hunger pains.
The organisation alleged that the request was denied until Ms. Gyasi stated that she would rather be deported than continue without food, after which officers reportedly allowed her access to food and a shower.
Senior Immigrants’ Rights Attorney for ACLU-VA, Sophia Gregg, described the detention as dangerous and unlawful.
“Ms. Gyasi legally traveled to the U.S. to get necessary medical care for her son, but the illegal detention and inhumane treatment that she’s experiencing at Dulles is endangering her son’s health as well as her own,” she said.
Another attorney for the organisation, Dorna Maryam Movasseghi, accused CBP of disregarding due process and placing immigration politics above human dignity.
The ACLU also linked the case to broader concerns surrounding the treatment of pregnant migrants and mothers in U.S. immigration custody following immigration measures introduced under former President Donald Trump’s administration.
The organisation cited reports of increasing numbers of pregnant and postpartum women being detained under harsh conditions.
Legal Director of ACLU-VA, Eden Heilman, said the Ghanaian woman had been placed in an impossible situation.
“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,” Heilman stated.
The lawsuit argues that the actions of CBP violate the Fifth Amendment rights of Ms. Gyasi and her son, as well as U.S. immigration laws.
The petition is seeking the immediate release of the Ghanaian woman and her son from custody and a temporary halt to any deportation proceedings until the matter is heard in court.
