06/10/2026
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06/10/2026
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WASHINGTON, Oct 6 : Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh was detained by US immigration authorities at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24, according to his friends, supporters and a campaign seeking his release.
Sheikh, 42, the director of the award-winning film Saffron Kingdom, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after arriving at Dulles, according to The Independent and a campaign launched by his supporters. His friends said he was travelling to Washington for an “Art as Resistance” panel when he was taken into custody.
The campaign described the detention as unlawful and said Sheikh presented immigration documents to the officers. The Independent reported that it contacted ICE for comment but had not received an immediate response.
Sheikh is being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, and was due to appear before an immigration judge Tuesday for a procedural hearing followed by a bond hearing. A federal court docket shows that Sheikh filed a habeas corpus petition on September 24, the same day as his reported detention.
According to the campaign, Sheikh entered the United States legally on a student visa to pursue graduate studies in film at Georgia State University. It also says he has a pending immigration application and authorization to live and work in the United States. These claims have not been independently confirmed by US immigration authorities.
Sheikh, who was born in Kashmir, directed and produced Saffron Kingdom, his debut feature film, which explores displacement, identity and the impact of conflict in Kashmir. The film has been screened in the United States and internationally and is now available on Watermelon+ in more than 175 countries.
Daffodil Studios, which produced the film, says Sheikh was named the inaugural recipient of the Emerging Filmmaker Activist Award at the 2025 Teaneck International Film Festival. The studio also lists 12 film-festival wins for Saffron Kingdom.
