Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court in Vermont, Christina Reiss, stated on Wednesday that she would release Russian scientist Ksenia Petrova, working at Harvard University, on bail in an immigration case, writes The New York Times. The customs officer revoked Petrova's visa because she did not declare the research samples she was bringing into the country.
"There are no factual or legal grounds for the immigration officer's actions," the judge decided, adding that "Petrova's life and well-being are at risk if she is deported to Russia."
While going on vacation to France, Petrova agreed to bring frog embryo samples from a partner laboratory at the request of her supervisor at Harvard Medical School.
When the samples were discovered during a baggage inspection at Boston airport, the customs officer immediately canceled her visa and initiated deportation proceedings. She was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana, where she remained for over three months.
However, it is still unclear when the government will allow Petrova to be released on bail and whether it will continue to insist on her deportation to Russia. The case attracted the attention of Trump administration officials, who took the unusual step earlier this month after Judge Reiss announced plans to release Petrova.
A few hours after this hearing, the Department of Justice charged Petrova with smuggling on the grounds that she did not declare scientific samples, and Petrova was arrested and handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service in Louisiana, where she remains to this day. The government also issued a detention order on immigration law violation charges, suggesting she would not be released even if bail is posted in the criminal case.
At Wednesday's hearing, the government's lawyer argued that Petrova's case is no longer within Judge Reiss's jurisdiction and should be considered by the immigration court in Louisiana.
31-year-old Petrova was hired in 2023 to work in a Harvard Medical School laboratory studying the earliest stages of cell development. The Kirschner lab, where she worked, researches ways to repair cell damage that leads to diseases such as cancer.
Petrova admitted she did not declare the samples. Her lawyer argued that this is usually considered a minor violation punishable by a fine. Meanwhile, a Department of Homeland Security representative stated on Wednesday that Petrova "was lawfully detained after lying to federal officers about bringing substances into the country."
Ultimately, Judge Reiss concluded that the officer acted unlawfully, and it is important to establish this. "The circumstances of this case may recur not only in Petrova's case but also in others," she said.