ICE detained a Kenyan state agency employee in Seattle, while his employer says he supplied valid work documents when hired.
A Kenyan worker arrested in Seattle faces allegations of overstaying his US visa, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed. The man works for Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Immigration officers detained him during a traffic stop on Monday. ICE said he entered the United States on a B-2 tourist visa but remained beyond his authorised stay.
Kenyan worker arrested despite agency work documentation
During the arrest, the man wore a jacket bearing the state department’s name and carried an agency identification card. He also acknowledged working for the department.
The agency confirmed that his employment began on August 16, 2024. However, it said he had supplied appropriate documents showing authorisation to work when he joined.
Nancy Gutierrez, the department’s communications director, said those documents included a valid US Citizenship and Immigration Services number without an expiry date. She also said the agency had received no notification of a change in his status.
The department’s response focused on the documentation it reviewed at hiring, while ICE’s allegation concerns his permitted stay.
Work authorisation and immigration status
The arrest comes as the US government intensifies immigration enforcement. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that people who overstay their visas can face detention and deportation.
However, the department says a work permit does not automatically confer lawful immigration status or protect someone from deportation proceedings. Employment authorisation and permission to remain in the country are separate matters under the US immigration system.
Some people with pending asylum applications may qualify to apply for employment authorisation. However, eligibility rules, application requirements and waiting periods apply.
Permission to work therefore does not, by itself, resolve a person’s immigration status. The Seattle case brings that distinction into focus alongside the government’s wider enforcement campaign.
