US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a Kenyan man who works for the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families. He is accused of overstaying his visa, Kenyans.co.ke reported. The Daily Nation and The Star also reported the arrest.
According to information ICE shared with Fox News, officers detained the man during a traffic stop in Seattle on Monday. ICE says he entered the US on a B-2 tourist visa and stayed after his authorised period ended. He was wearing an agency jacket at the time of his arrest. He also carried an agency ID card and told officers he worked there.
The agency confirmed he had worked there since August 16, 2024. It said he provided the proper documents when he was hired. These included a valid US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) number with no expiry date. "We have not been notified of a change in his status," said Nancy Gutierrez, the agency's director of communications.
The Department of Homeland Security says people who overstay their visas can face detention and deportation. According to the department, a work permit does not by itself give a person lawful immigration status. Nor does it protect them from deportation proceedings.
Under US immigration rules, some people with pending asylum claims can apply for permission to work. This depends on eligibility rules and waiting periods. But a work permit does not settle a person's right to stay in the country. Kenyans.co.ke said the case has drawn attention to that difference. The arrest is part of a wider US immigration enforcement campaign.
The sources did not name the man or say what happens next in his case.