Rep. Josh Harder Calls for Release of Detained USF Nursing Professor

“ICE has also reportedly pursued her removal to an undisclosed third country without providing her or her attorney with the relevant documentation,” Rep. Josh Harder wrote in a letter to the Department of Homeland Security.

As KQED reported on November 10, 2026, Stockton Representative Josh Harder raised concerns regarding the location and custody of Ann Lawani, highlighting that the Lodi resident has legally resided in the U.S. for 13 years and possesses no criminal history.

On October 20, Harder addressed a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin requesting the prompt release of the University of San Francisco nursing professor after she was detained in September and moved thousands of miles away to Louisiana.

Lawani oversees 230 nursing students at the University of San Francisco and practices nursing at John Muir Health, while also serving as a caregiver for her 83-year-old father who is currently hospitalized, according to a statement from USF cited by KQED. Eileen K. Fry-Bowers, dean of USF’s School of Nursing and Health Professions, said that Lawani was deeply integrated into the campus community.

Rep. Josh Harder demands release of Lodi nurse detained by ICE — ABC10

“Her continued absence causes real and mounting harm to the students and faculty who rely on her mentorship, to our accreditation-mandated curriculum work, and to the safety-net partnerships she has built,” Fry-Bowers told KQED.

Harder warned that Lawani’s whereabouts are not reflected in Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s online detainee locator system, part of a new policy for people with final deportation orders that leaves families and attorneys struggling to locate them.

Lawani’s story was featured in The New York Times as part of an expose on new deportation policies making it possible for public ICE detainee databases to exclude thousands of immigrants and expedite their removal.