ICE detained University of Maryland Baltimore instructor after alleged visa overstay at Dallas-Fort Worth airport

Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Berhanu Kibret, a pharmacy instructor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, according to a report by The Guardian. The detention came after Kibret was recognized with the school’s “teacher of the year” award earlier this week, drawing attention to the timing of federal immigration enforcement actions against people connected to U.S. universities.

The Guardian reported that the Department of Homeland Security told reporters that Kibret had overstayed his visa. DHS is the parent department under which ICE operates, and the account described Kibret’s arrest as an immigration custody action rather than a criminal arrest.

According to the report, ICE officials took Kibret into custody at the airport in Texas. The Guardian said the detention was carried out under the command of the Trump administration, framing the incident as part of broader federal enforcement activity during President Donald Trump’s term in office.

The Guardian also described Kibret as a “pharmacy instructor” at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. The university’s recognition of Kibret as “teacher of the year” was noted in the report, but the account did not specify whether the award came from a specific school unit, department, or academic program.

The U.S. immigration system generally requires custody decisions to be followed by administrative proceedings, which may include determinations about removability, eligibility for relief, and review available through the immigration courts. In this case, the public record reflected in the reporting centers on the stated reason for the arrest, that DHS believed Kibret had overstayed his visa, but the report did not provide additional details on the next procedural steps.

As the incident proceeds, the practical stakes include how quickly an arrested individual is moved from initial custody into the immigration adjudication process, what claims about identity and status are presented, and whether any relief from removal is sought. For a university instructor, the detention can also raise operational questions about continuity of employment, teaching assignments, and campus community support while immigration proceedings are underway.

The Guardian’s account serves as the primary public information for the case, and further details would typically come through ICE notices, court filings, or statements from the university or legal counsel. The next developments likely turn on the government’s charging documents, the timeline for hearings, and any adjudication of the overstays allegation.