Union Nurses Secure Release of Detained Asylum-Seeking Nurse in Maine

Asylum-seeking nurse returns to Maine following union advocacy

Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse who was recently detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Boston Logan International Airport, has been released and is heading back to her home in Maine. Kapisha, who works as a medical-surgical nurse at Maine Medical Center in Portland, is affiliated with the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), under the larger umbrella of National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union for registered nurses in the United States.

"We were able to organize a rally for Debora within 24 hours of finding out she had been detained by ICE," stated Kelli Brennan, a nurse leader with MSNA. "We knew we had to take action, first to stop her from being transferred out of New England while in custody, but also to demand her release. We’re incredibly proud that nurses and the community came together in Portland to advocate for her, and now we need to figure out how to stop ICE."

Details of the Press Conference

Who: Union nurses, community, and allies

What: Press conference regarding Debora Kapisha’s release

When: Friday, Aug. 7, 11:30 a.m.

Where: Western Promenade next to Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine

"This story is a testament to the power of organized nurses," noted Puneet Maharaj, executive director of CNA/NNOC/NNU. "Nurses in Maine found out one of their own was locked up and sprung into action to get her out. Their success is a story of collective action being undeniable, and it’s a model for how we all band together to free everyone from ICE detention and abolish this fascist agency of secret police that is abducting and torturing our neighbors."

Kapisha, a beloved first-year nurse originally from Zambia, is authorized to live and work in the U.S. while awaiting the outcome of her asylum case. She was detained by ICE on July 30 while traveling. Her union is working with her attorneys for her release, and nurses at Maine Medical Center are urging their employer to sponsor her permanent residency.

Since the onset of ICE's controversial operations, National Nurses United has consistently criticized it as a violent and illegitimate organization. Reports from Human Rights Watch indicate that at least 52 individuals have died in immigration detention during the Trump administration's second term, primarily due to inadequate medical care.

The MSNA/NNOC represents over 4,000 nurses throughout Maine.

Maine State Nurses Association is part of National Nurses Organizing Committee, representing over 4,000 nurses and other caregivers in Maine. NNOC is affiliated with National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses in the U.S., with over 225,000 members nationwide.