US Judge Rules CBP Wrongly Canceled Harvard Researcher's Visa

Was Petrova a victim of government overreach or a smuggler who deceived federal agents?

Published 5 days ago

US Judge Rules CBP Wrongly Canceled Harvard Researcher's Visa

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Above: Passengers leave the secure area in the arrivals area of the international terminal at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts on March 13, 2020. Image credit: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

A federal court ruled that CBP's cancellation of Kseniia Petrova's visa was unlawful and exceeded its authority — meaning the entire basis for her detention collapses. The deportation question must now be reconsidered from scratch, and if this ruling holds, it sets a major precedent limiting ICE's overreach. Revoking a visa over undeclared frog embryos without legal authority isn't border security — it's government abuse.

Andrey Pivovarov on X

Right narrative

Petrova lied to federal officers, and text messages on her own phone prove she knew she needed to declare the biological materials but chose to smuggle them anyway. CBP has full legal authority to revoke visas and detain individuals who deceive customs agents and carry undeclared biological substances without permits. This isn't government overreach — it's exactly what border enforcement is supposed to look like.

New York Post

Trump Department of Homeland Security on X

Dr. Douglas A'Hern on X