A pregnant South African woman has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at an airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nqobile Malangeni was detained on 31 July at Harry Reid International Airport while preparing to board a JetBlue flight to Connecticut. According to 8News Now, US authorities told her they had a final order of removal because she had overstayed her authorised period of stay.
Malangeni lives in Connecticut with her fiancé, a former US military member. She had travelled to Las Vegas for a holiday to celebrate her birthday on 27 July. Footage showing her detention has since been broadcast by several US media outlets.
Video footage shows Malangeni surrounded by ICE agents at the airport. The agents told her they were enforcing a final order of removal against her. She is currently being held at the Henderson Detention Center in Nevada.
Pregnant South African Woman Detained At Las Vegas Airport
Malangeni’s detention has left her fiancé distressed as the couple had planned to get married. Speaking to local media, he said his greatest fear was that he could be separated from Malangeni and may not get the opportunity to meet their child if she is deported to South Africa. He also appealed to the US government to release his fiancé.
“I feel like there should be justice and another chance for us to be able to keep our family together, and especially, to be able to live normally just like everyone else that’s here,” he said.
“I feel that in this case there should be some kind of understanding and justice because not all immigrants are trying to beat the system,” the fiancé said.
The military veteran, who enlisted in 2013, said Malangeni entered the United States about a year and a half ago. He said the couple had intended to marry and build their family together in the US. He also questioned whether the removal notice had reached them properly.
ICE Detention: Fiancé Says Couple Did Not Receive Removal Letter
Malangeni’s fiancé said he believes the situation could have been avoided if they had received and understood the removal notice. He said they would have been able to address the matter had they known about it earlier. His comments came as Malangeni remained in detention in Nevada.
“I feel that if we would’ve received the removal letter the right way and knew about it, this would’ve never been an issue to begin with,” he said.
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Information published by ICE states that once a person has received a final order of removal, its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) works with relevant partners to arrange the person’s return. The agency says removals can take place using chartered flights or commercial airlines, depending on the circumstances of the case.
ICE Removal Process Explained As South African Woman Remains Detained
According to information on the ICE website, ERO uses contracted charter flights to move detainees between detention facilities before removal or to return people to their countries of origin. The agency also says detained individuals can be removed on commercial flights depending on factors including geography, the number of people being removed and other case-specific circumstances. Detainees travelling on commercial flights may be escorted or unescorted.
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Malangeni remains at the Henderson Detention Center while her immigration case continues. The circumstances surrounding her final order of removal and the status of any legal proceedings have not been detailed in the information provided.
The Times Post has contacted both ICE and the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) for comment. Their responses will be added once received.
