Judge Orders Release of Harvard Scientist in Custody

A federal judge in Vermont, Christina Reiss, ordered the release of Harvard Medical School researcher Kseniia Petrova from ICE custody, ruling her detention unjustified after she was held for over three months for allegedly failing to declare frog embryo samples brought from France. The judge stated there was no factual or legal basis for revoking Petrova’s visa or detaining her, and emphasized that the frog embryos were non-hazardous, non-living, and did not require special permits. Petrova, 31, still faces a separate criminal smuggling charge in Massachusetts and will remain in custody pending a bail decision in that case. The ruling prevents immigration authorities from immediately re-detaining her if she is granted bail. Her arrest has drawn attention due to her cancer research and fears for her safety if deported to Russia, where she has protested the war in Ukraine. The case has highlighted the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and disputes with Harvard.