Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh detained by US immigration authorities

Award-winning Kashmiri filmmaker Arfat Sheikh has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a report by The Independent, citing his friends and supporters.

Sheikh was taken into custody at Washington Dulles International Airport on September 24 while travelling to Washington DC to attend an ‘Art as Resistance’ panel at Busboys and Poets, The Indian Express reported.

According to his supporters, ICE officers detained the 42-year-old filmmaker shortly after he arrived from California. They alleged that he was taken into custody without a warrant despite presenting his immigration documents.

Sheikh is currently being held at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia and was expected to appear before an immigration judge on Tuesday.

He had been travelling with author Tara Dorabji, who was scheduled to speak at the September 26 panel about the experiences of torture survivors in Kashmir, The Independent reported.

ICE has not publicly responded to the reported detention.

Meanwhile, Sheikh’s friends, colleagues, family members and supporters in the US have launched a fundraising campaign seeking $50,000 to cover his legal expenses.

Sheikh is a Kashmiri filmmaker who has been living in the United States for several years. His debut feature film, Saffron Kingdom, explores themes including conflict, displacement and identity in Kashmir. The film was screened at several independent film festivals and earned him recognition, including the Emerging Filmmaker Activist award at the Teaneck International Film Festival in 2025.