Federal judge grants ICE bail for Harvard researcher, but she remains in custody on criminal charges
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the release of Harvard medical researcher Kseniia Petrova from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody but she will remain detained to face criminal charges related to the alleged smuggling of frog embryos, according to her attorney.
Petrova was detained by customs agents at Logan International Airport in Boston in February for allegedly trying to bring undeclared frog embryos into the U.S. as part of her research.
"We are gratified that today’s hearing gave us the opportunity to present clear and convincing evidence that Kseniia Petrova was not carrying anything dangerous or unlawful, and that customs officers at Logan International Airport had no legal authority to revoke her visa or detain her," her attorney Greg Romanovsky said in a statement. "At today's hearing, we demonstrated that Kseniia is neither a danger to the community nor a flight risk, and does not belong in immigration detention."
The Harvard researcher is now set to be transported to Massachusetts due to a previous court order where she’s expected to face criminal charges on allegations that she was attempting to smuggle the embryos into the U.S. A future bail hearing in that criminal case could ultimately determine her release.
Petrova has been held in a federal prison facility in Louisiana since authorities sent her there after she was first detained in Boston.
The federal criminal charges were unveiled earlier this month. Petrova faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
In her immigration case, federal authorities have been aiming to deport Petrova back to her native Russia, despite her fear of being returned to her home country where she says she faced past persecution for her political activities.
"Rather than imposing the appropriate monetary penalties for the customs violation, CBP improperly invoked their extensive immigration authority to impose a punishment grossly disproportionate to the situation," Petrova's attorney previously told ABC News.
