A registered nurse, Debora Kapisha, is reunited with her family after being detained by immigration authorities. Her release followed a concerted effort supported by community members and colleagues at Maine Medical Center.
Kapisha expressed gratitude in a statement read by Sara English, a fellow nurse at Maine Medical Center, during a National Nurses United news conference. “I am so thankful to be home and can’t wait to return to my co-workers and patients,” she said.
Janelle Crowley, a NICU nurse and union leader, emphasized the solidarity of healthcare workers, stating, “We protect each other and we protect our patients. In this case, we stood up for and protected Debora.”
Originally hailing from Zambia, Kapisha is employed in the medical-surgical unit at Maine Medical Center, specializing in care for dialysis patients. This unit is described as demanding by Kelli Brennan, co-president of the Maine State Nurses Association.
Kapisha faces an ongoing asylum case. She was detained by ICE officers on July 30 during her passage through Boston’s Logan International Airport. While the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not provide immediate comment, ICE indicated that Kapisha initially entered the United States legally on a five-month visa in 2024 but did not leave after its expiration.
Her union and employer maintain she has lived and worked legally in the U.S. as her asylum request is pending. Brennan commented, “We’re celebrating our victory today. But this is not the end, and we have to keep fighting.”
Britt Crewse, the president of MaineHealth’s Southern Region, also voiced concern about the situation, noting, “This individual appears to have been living and working here legally.”
Kapisha’s experience highlights the impact of immigration enforcement on healthcare workers under the Trump administration’s policies. Recent actions by ICE, including an incident in Biddeford, have intensified concerns at local hospitals, said Brennan. These developments have contributed to staff shortages across various departments.
Brennan described how the hospital environment had adapted, with medical professionals assuming unfamiliar roles, such as doctors pushing stretchers. She observed, “Our colleagues were afraid to leave the house. Our patients were afraid to come to appointments. We definitely have a reliance on immigrants to help run our healthcare system.”
Crewse acknowledged, “The enforcement surge by immigration authorities has many of our care team members on edge.”