Community Rallies for Nurse Released from Detention

A registered nurse has returned to her family after a weeklong ordeal, thanks to the support from community members and colleagues at Maine Medical Center. They called for her release from immigration detention.

In her first statement since her release on Thursday evening, the nurse, Debora Kapisha, expressed her gratitude. I am so thankful to be home and can’t wait to return to my co-workers and patients, she conveyed. Sara English, another nurse at Maine Medical Center, delivered this message on Kapisha’s behalf at a Friday morning news conference organized by National Nurses United and the Maine State Nurses Association.

Janelle Crowley, a NICU nurse and union leader at the Maine State Nurses Association, remarked at the event, We protect each other and we protect our patients. In this case, we stood up for and protected Debora.

Originally from Zambia, Kapisha serves as a medical-surgical nurse focusing on dialysis patients. Her colleagues emphasize the significance of her role. It’s a challenging unit to work in, noted Kelli Brennan, a nurse and co-president of Maine State Nurses Association. We definitely need her there.

Kapisha faces a pending asylum case, according to her colleagues. The union reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained her on July 30 at Boston’s Logan International Airport. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not commented on the situation. ICE previously informed an NBC affiliate that Kapisha entered the U.S. legally in 2024 on a five-month visa but did not leave when it expired. Her union and employer assert she has been residing and working legally while her case remains pending.

Kelli Brennan stated, We’re going to keep advocating for Debora. We’re celebrating our victory today, but this is not the end, and we have to keep fighting.

In a statement, Britt Crewse, president of MaineHealth’s Southern Region, showed concern over Kapisha’s detention, especially since this individual appears to have been living and working here legally.

Kapisha’s case highlights the impact of immigration policies on healthcare workers under the previous administration’s operations. Brennan noted that increased enforcement and incidents like the shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero by ICE in Maine have caused disruptions at the hospital, leading to staff shortages across departments.

These events caused healthcare workers to take on unfamiliar roles to manage their responsibilities. Conditions created fear among both staff and patients, Brennan observed. Our colleagues were afraid to leave the house. Our patients were afraid to come to appointments. We definitely rely on immigrants to help run our healthcare system, she stated.

Crewse added that heightened immigration enforcement has left many staff members feeling uneasy.