Portland nurse was detained by ICE during jetport security screening
Passengers wait in the security line at the Portland International Jetport in July 2025. A Maine Medical Center nurse who was detained by immigration authorities last month was taken into custody at the jetport in what appeared to be a targeted operation, her attorney says. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
A Maine Medical Center nurse who was detained by immigration authorities last month was taken into custody at the Portland International Jetport, her attorney confirmed Wednesday.
Kerry Doyle, who is representing Debora Kapisha in her immigration case, said the nurse from Zambia was apprehended during a Transportation Security Administration security screening on July 30, as first reported by Maine Public.
An agent told Kapisha that her luggage needed to be inspected in another room, where immigration agents were waiting to apprehend her, Doyle said.
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Her detention comes as immigration enforcement has been ramping up at airports nationwide. Maine immigrant advocates say at least five people were detained at the jetport over the past two weeks.
Kapisha is an asylum seeker and registered nurse who is legally authorized to work in the United States, according to the Maine State Nurses Association union. Her colleagues at the hospital protested her detention by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week.
The nurses union originally said Kapisha was detained while traveling through Boston Logan International Airport. But her attorney said Wednesday that she was apprehended at the Portland jetport in what appeared to be a targeted operation.
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ICE spokespeople did not respond to requests for more information about Kapisha’s detention.
After challenging her detention in federal court, Kapisha was ordered to be released from ICE custody last week. ICE has accused her of overstaying a visa set to expire in November 2024.
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Assistant Airport Director Zachary Sundquist said in a statement Wednesday that the jetport has not received specific information about ICE operations. He said TSA leadership notified staff at an airport meeting last week that ICE removal operations are ramping up, including at the jetport.
According to notes from the Aug. 5 airport meeting, TSA officials are “starting to lay out the boundaries” of what the agency’s involvement is in those immigration operations.
ICE cannot “piggyback off of TSA’s legal authority to be conducting screening at the checkpoint,” Jason Pinegar, who works for the TSA, said at the meeting.
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Doyle and immigration advocates say Kapisha’s detention raises concerns about expanding immigration enforcement in airports. Doyle said some of her clients have been apprehended while traveling through airports across the country, including in Boston.
Nurses at Maine Medical Center protest last week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse. Kapisha was released from ICE custody the following day, according to U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, and a Maine nurses union. (Derek Davis/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
The Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition released a statement about the increased enforcement Wednesday, citing a May 2025 agreement between ICE and TSA to share information. According to reporting from Reuters, ICE arrested more than 800 people following leads from TSA officials, who shared data about more than 31,000 travelers.
“People with temporary or uncertain immigration status should consult a qualified immigration attorney before flying,” the Maine advocacy group said in a statement. “Community members can make a family safety plan and visit the Lighthouse ME Resource Hub for information and resources.”
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Tagged: ICE, immigration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Portland International Jetport
Morgan covers breaking news and public safety for the Portland Press Herald. Before moving to Maine in 2024, she reported for Michigan State University's student-run publication, as well as the Indianapolis. More by Morgan Womack
