Maureen Wanjiru Ngure, a California nurse and mother of two, was deported to Kenya on 22 September after federal officials said she overstayed her student visa, more than a month after she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement while her family was preparing to relocate to Canada.
Ngure entered the United States legally through New York in November 2006 and later built a career as a nurse in California. She is married to Peter Mang'ara Muchendu, and the couple has two children.
Federal immigration officials said Ngure had a final order of removal and had remained in the US after overstaying her visa. Her family and supporters, however, described her detention as wrongful and sought her release.
ICE Deportation Follows Years in the US
Newsweek reported that Ngure had been selected for a Canadian nursing employment pathway and that the family had planned to move to Canada before her detention. She had reportedly been offered a healthcare job in British Columbia.
After her arrest, Ngure was held in detention facilities in California, Arizona, Louisiana and New Jersey before being deported to Kenya.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson rejected claims that Ngure had been unjustly detained.
'She chose to illegally overstay her welcome in violation of our nation's laws,' the spokesperson told Newsweek. 'Claims that Ngure was unjustly detained are FALSE.'
Federal officials also said an immigration judge issued Ngure a final order of removal in February 2012. According to DHS, she was arrested in Seattle the following month and released from ICE custody in September 2012 pending further immigration proceedings.
DHS also stressed that a pending application does not, by itself, confer legal status in the United States.
'To be clear: a pending application does NOT confer legal status in the United States,' a DHS spokesperson told Newsweek.
ICE Deportation Disrupts Family's Canada Plans
According to her attorney, Regine Dupuy, Muchendu and the couple's two children flew from San Francisco International Airport to Kenya after Ngure's deportation.
'They're very family-oriented people and his primary concern was making his children feel secure and safe and returning to join her was the best way,' Dupuy told Newsweek.
The family is now considering whether to relocate to Canada, where Ngure reportedly had been pursuing a nursing job opportunity.
'They're taking it one step at a time and looking at what is in their best interest,' Dupuy said. 'They have to look at all of the options available to them and make their decisions based on that.'
Supporters of Ngure held a rally in Concord on 19 September, three days before her deportation. A fundraising campaign was also launched to help cover legal and travel expenses.
Newsweek reported that Ngure worked as a nurse at Contra Costa County Regional Medical Center in Martinez, California, and had participated in the county's Covid-19 response.
'She was literally taken from us,' Taelor Seaton, a registered nurse who worked alongside Ngure, told the San Francisco Chronicle, according to Newsweek.
Peter Muchendu also described what he said were the conditions his wife experienced while detained.
'There's no privacy, the food is really bad,' he told KGO-TV. 'You take a shower, everybody sees you. You use the bathroom, everybody sees you. We are hoping the government will show compassion and just let her out.'
Ngure has since been reunited with her family in Kenya. Her attorney said the family is considering its next steps, including the possibility of moving to Canada.
