A Scientist's Interrupted Journey: From Cutting-Edge Research to ICE Detention

In 2023, I relocated from Russia to the United States to pursue my passion for biology at Harvard Medical School. Arriving in America felt like stepping into a scientific utopia, where free exchange of ideas and abundant resources created an environment vastly different from what I left behind. In Russia, international sanctions had severely limited access to experimental supplies, and I once declined a job offer that required me to cease protesting the war in Ukraine. After my arrest for participating in a protest, I made the difficult decision to flee, recognizing that continuing my career as a scientist there was no longer possible.

My expertise lies in bioinformatics, a discipline that applies computational methods to unravel biological complexities. At Harvard, I worked with a microscope developed in our lab called NoRI—short for Normalized Raman Imaging. This device is unique worldwide due to its ability to precisely analyze the chemical composition of cells, providing unprecedented insights into aging and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, potentially leading to longer, healthier lives.

The intricate beauty of life and the quest to understand its underlying mechanisms have always inspired me to dedicate myself fully to science. This drive fuels my daily commitment to research.

Since February, I have been unable to return to my laboratory or operate the NoRI microscope. During my return to Boston from a vacation in France, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained me at Logan International Airport because I failed to declare frog embryos in my luggage—samples intended for our lab’s research. While such an oversight typically results in a warning or fine, my visa was revoked, and I was transferred to a detention facility in Louisiana. Here, I have spent three months confined in a dormitory-style room shared with about 100 other women.

Accustomed to spending up to 12 hours daily in the lab, collaborating with colleagues on complex scientific problems and refining algorithms for NoRI, the detention center’s conditions are a stark contrast. We have no access to computers, and only six phones are available for all detainees to share, with calls costing $5 for 15 minutes before being disconnected. The environment is noisy and cold. Thankfully, my supportive colleagues have sent me academic papers and books, including an excellent read on biochemistry titled “Transformer,” which I highly recommend.

I have asked a colleague to share some of the groundbreaking NoRI images with Multinational Times. These images, never before seen outside our lab, depict tissue samples from mice and rats that could deepen our understanding of organ aging and disease development. I hope that by sharing these visuals, people will appreciate why returning to my scientific work is so vital to me.