Harvard researcher in Louisiana awaits verdict on extradition to Russia

Harvard researcher in Louisiana awaits verdict on extradition to Russia

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – Kseniia Petrova never thought she would face serious immigration issues. She has been in the detention system for 68 days after she was arrested at Boston's Logan International Airport while carrying unidentified frog embryo samples. The Russian-born scientist and Harvard University employee was legally in the United States, but finds herself in a situation that is being discussed in the national media while President Donald Trump pursued his promise of mass deportations.

Waiting for the court decision

Petrova, 30, was taken to a U.S. immigration detention center in Louisiana, where she awaits a judge's decision on her possible deportation to Russia, where she fears prison or worse. The Ministry of Internal Security accuses Petrova of knowingly breaking the law, while friends and supporters are calling for her release, pointing out that the incident would normally only be punishable by a fine.

Difficult conditions in the detention center

“The truth is on my side,” Petrova said in a video call with the Associated Press, trying to drown out the chatter around her in different languages. Behind her were double steel beds, a few tables, two microwaves and a television showing CNN.

“Almost our entire life takes place in this dormitory,” says Petrova. Dozens of women moved around them, many of them of Latin American descent, some of whom had crossed the border illegally. Other immigrants had been in the country for a long time and were arrested after missing an appointment with ICE. There are also women who Petrova says are being held for “simply no reason.”

Petrova is unaware of any other female scientists in the 99-woman dormitory. She described the food at the facility as “absolutely terrible,” mostly high in carbohydrates, with no fruits or vegetables. Detainees typically receive an hour of fresh air unless it rains, which is common this time of year in the Bayou State.

People spend their nights shivering because the dormitory is cold, the showers are scorching hot and there is a lack of privacy. The constant noise makes it “difficult to live,” she said.

Frog embryos and customs issues

A few months earlier, Petrova spent her vacation in France, where she stopped at a laboratory that specializes in cutting ultra-thin layers of frog embryos and received a package of samples for her research. When she arrived at customs in Boston, she was questioned about the samples. Petrova told the AP she didn't know the items had to be declared and didn't mean to bring in anything illegal. After questioning, she was informed that her visa would be canceled.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement on Platform X that Petrova was arrested after she “lied to federal officers about transporting substances into the country.” It was claimed that messages on her phone "showed she planned to smuggle the material through customs without explaining it."

Petrova's supervisor and mentor, Leon Peshkin, said the samples were in no way dangerous or biologically hazardous. “I don’t think she did anything wrong,” Peshkin said. “Even if she had, the most she should have received was a warning or a fine of up to $500.” Harvard said in a statement that the university “continues to monitor the situation.”

An ‘irreplaceable’ mind

Petrova has a very specific scientific skill that is necessary for research, said Peshkin, a principal investigator in Harvard's Department of Systems Biology. He explained that Petrova was supporting a study of the earliest stages of cell division using frog embryos. "She's become crucial to just about every project in the lab. I don't know how we'll continue without her," Peshkin said.

Will Trim, a postdoctoral researcher and roommate of Petrova, confirmed the description of its scientific value. He has been working with her as she writes computer programs to read images from a unique microscope that Trim believes has the potential to make breakthroughs in cancer diagnosis. “Some very important research will end when she’s gone,” Trim said.

The impact on the scientific community

Trim.boarded a flight to Louisiana on Friday to visit Petrova, who is allowed one visitor a week. The facility is one of nine immigration detention centers in the state, all located in rural northern or western parts of the state. Many prisoners complained about isolation, as they are held far away from their families and lawyers.

Louisiana has been the center of other high-profile immigration cases in the past, including the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, an activist from Columbia University. Like many others in detention, Petrova left her country to escape conflict or possible political repression. She fled after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, marking the start of a three-year bloody war.

"If I go back, I'm afraid I will be put in prison because of my political beliefs and my anti-war stance," Petrova said.

An immigration judge in Louisiana found earlier this week that the federal government's case was legally inadequate and gave ICE a week to provide stronger evidence. Petrova's case is being closely watched by the scientific community as some fear it could affect the recruitment and retention of foreign scientists at U.S. universities. "I think there's a misconception that foreign scientists are somehow privileged in the U.S. I feel it's the opposite," Peshkin said. "Foreign scientists come here with skills ... they are highly qualified experts who are in demand. They enrich the American scientific community."