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Officer improperly canceled visa of Harvard scholar charged with frog embryo smuggling, judge rules
The ruling said Customs and Border Protection lacked authority to cancel her visa and that it was based solely on frog embryo samples.
- On Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss ruled that a customs officer improperly canceled the visa of Russian-born Harvard University scientist Kseniia Petrova, finding the cancellation arbitrary and capricious. Customs and Border Protection lacked authority to cancel visas for suspected biological sample smuggling.
- Returning from France last year with frog embryo samples obtained from a specialized laboratory, Petrova was questioned at Boston Logan International Airport, where officials canceled her visa after interrogation. She was subsequently detained in Vermont and Louisiana.
- Petrova told The Associated Press last year she did not realize the samples needed declaration and was not attempting to sneak anything into the country. Judge Reiss found undisputed facts showed the visa cancellation stemmed solely from the embryo samples.
- Attorney Gregory Romanovsky said the ruling was "correcting what should never have happened in the first place," while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the decision.
- The scientific community is closely monitoring Petrova's case, with researchers expressing concern that such visa actions could impact recruitment and retention of foreign scientists at U.S. universities.
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The U.S. Federal District Court of Vermont has declared illegal the Customs decision to cancel the student's visa and the research...
Judge: Researcher's Visa Illegally Pulled Over Embryos
A federal judge has delivered a rebuke to border officials in a case involving frog embryos and a Harvard researcher's visa. On Tuesday, US District Judge Christina Reiss ruled that Customs and Border Protection acted outside its authority when it canceled the visa of Harvard Medical School researcher Kseniia Petrova...
·Miami, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources33
Leaning Left13Leaning Right3Center16Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 41%
C 50%
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