On September 24th, 2026, our friend and filmmaker, Arfat Sheikh was unlawfully detained by ICE coming off a plane at Dulles Airport (IAD).
Arfat Sheikh is the award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker behind Saffron Kingdom.
His work explores identity, resilience, and justice through deeply personal and politically resonant narratives.
Arfat entered the United States on a student visa to pursue graduate studies in film at Georgia State University and filed for asylum in 2020.
Sheikh has a pending immigration application and is authorized to live and work in the United States.
He is being held at Caroline Detention Center in Bowling Green, Virginia.