Federal Judge Orders Russian Researcher to Be Released From ICE Custody

The researcher faces a smuggling charge over undeclared frog embryos brought to the United States from France.

Kseniia Petrova, a Russian-born scientist who was a researcher at Harvard University, in April 2025. Polina Pugacheva via AP

A federal judge has granted bail to a Russian medical researcher at Harvard University in her immigration case, but she still faces a criminal smuggling charge and will remain in detention.

At a hearing on May 28, Judge Christina Reiss of the District Court of Vermont said that Kseniia Petrova’s continued immigration detention was unjustified. She gave the federal government until May 30 to propose the terms of release.