Supporters Demand Immediate Release of Kashmiri Filmmaker Arfat Sheikh Following ICE Detention

Supporters of Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh are demanding his immediate release following his arrest by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last month.

According to a statement released on Tuesday by the advocacy group known as the Free Arfat Sheikh campaign, "Sheikh was unlawfully detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24, 2026."

The 42-year-old artist, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia, originally arrived in the US on a student visa in 2019 to study film at Georgia State University. He subsequently sought asylum in 2020. The campaign reported that Sheikh is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia.

The press release noted that the filmmaker was scheduled to appear before an immigration judge on Tuesday for a procedural hearing and a bond assessment. Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security has issued a comment regarding the detention.

Sheikh's debut feature film, Saffron Kingdom, earned numerous accolades, including Best Feature Film awards at the Chicago Filmmakers Awards, LA Film and Documentary Awards, Melbourne Independent Film Festival, Wake Forest Film Festival, and Anatolian International Film Awards. Furthermore, he received the Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award at the Teaneck International Film Festival in 2025.

This detention coincides with a significant surge in ICE arrests nationwide, reaching record levels this summer with approximately 50,000 arrests recorded across July and August.