Concern After Ekpeki Detained By CBP in LA

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Mike Glyer

Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki was reportedly detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorities at the Los Angeles Airport on February 23. LA author Woody Dismukes has been asking people to signal boost this message:

Thursday afternoon @naacpimageaward nominee @Penprince_ was detained by @CBPLosAngeles at @flyLAXairport . He has not been heard from in 48 hours and we are concerned for his safety. Please share this message widely so we can ensure his safe release.
— Woody Dismukes (@WoodyDismukes) February 25, 2023

Jason Sanford noted on Twitter: “Ekpeki has a valid visa and was on his way to a high-profile award ceremony where the Africa Risen anthology was being honored.”

The live NAACP Image Awards show is happening in Los Angeles today, February 25. One of the works up for an award in The Outstanding Work – Literary Fiction category is Africa Risen: A New Era Of Speculative Fiction edited by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Zelda Knight.

28 thoughts on “Concern After Ekpeki Detained By CBP in LA”

Camestros Felapton on February 25, 2023 at 5:08 pm said:

I’m really worried by this turn of events. I really hope he is OK.
Paul Weimer on February 25, 2023 at 5:10 pm said:

I’m worried.
Cat Eldridge on February 25, 2023 at 5:28 pm said:

Paul Weimer says I’m worried.

You should be.

Something about his visa most likely triggered this action.
mark on February 25, 2023 at 5:34 pm said:

I have just emailed both my Senators, and my Congressman. Everyone else needs to do the same.
P J Evans on February 25, 2023 at 5:43 pm said:

Don’t read the responses to Woodie’s tweet.
Andrew (not Werdna) on February 25, 2023 at 5:43 pm said:

@mark: Good idea.
Jennifer Povey on February 25, 2023 at 5:49 pm said:

I’m wondering, tbh, if one of the people who has been harassing and threatening him made a false report?
David Hook on February 25, 2023 at 5:52 pm said:

Without knowing any of the facts here yet, I always feel that Customs and Border Protection can be terrifying and can easily make life very, very hard for anyone, especially but not limited to visitors to the US.
Lis Carey on February 25, 2023 at 5:57 pm said:

This is really alarming.
Sarah Avery on February 25, 2023 at 5:59 pm said:

Emailing one of the senators who helped get that visa. Chris Van Hollen and his staff cared about setting things right when Ekpeki’s initial application was denied.
Cat Eldridge on February 25, 2023 at 5:59 pm said:

The responses to Woodie’s tweets are entirely what I expected and why Twitter needs a moderation option.

My local paper has a number of racists who hate the community of individuals who’ve settled here from the African diaspora. (Side digression Me, I love how much they add to the large communal apartment building where we all live.) So I spent quite some time getting their comments deleted.
mark on February 25, 2023 at 6:05 pm said:

And, just on accountabecuase, I just wrote President Biden at the White House about this.
Lis Carey on February 25, 2023 at 6:09 pm said:

I think it’s worth contacting anyone in Congress and any other relevant federal officials you can think of.
ArbysMom on February 25, 2023 at 7:03 pm said:

I quote-retweeted the tweet to my two Senators and my Representative in Congress (and then blocked the jerk who replied directly to me and muted the other jerks in the replies). I plan to email all three of them next.
Juli Marr on February 25, 2023 at 7:06 pm said:

Chris and I have spent the last hour spreading this far and wide. Please do the same..
Msb on February 25, 2023 at 10:39 pm said:

Alarming indeed. Is there any further news?
Pingback: AMAZING NEWS: 2/26/23 - Amazing Stories
Steve Wright on February 26, 2023 at 9:22 am said:

I don’t think there’s anything practical I can do from here in the UK, but I will express my concern, and hope that Mr Ekpeki will soon be released. (Ideally, with some sort of apology, but I suspect that’s not going to happen.)
Camestros Felapton on February 26, 2023 at 9:49 am said:

Jennifer Povey on February 25, 2023 at 5:49 pm said:

I’m wondering, tbh, if one of the people who has been harassing and threatening him made a false report?

I think it is probable that a troll reported him
Mike Glyer on February 26, 2023 at 9:54 am said:

Certainly the trolls are working overtime trying to leave gloating comments here.
rcade on February 26, 2023 at 11:47 am said:

An anonymous user on Twitter describing themselves as a fellow Nigerian warned Ekpeki on Twitter that he was misunderstanding how his U.S. visa works. Here’s what that user DerutoD posted 11 days before Ekpeki flew from Nigeria into Los Angeles:

He said in an interview that he got a two year visa, so that has not yet expired. He said he was admitted for six months, so he is legally here until beginning of March. After that, he will be in difficulty. He said in the same interview that he believes he can leave after six months then soon return and stay another six months, but as I severally tried to explain before he blocked me, that is not how the system works. On B visa one is generally permitted to stay no more than six months in a 12 month period. So I believe that in March he will face an unpleasant reality when he attempt to return to the United States, as he has stated he intends.

I have urged him to speak with an immigration attorney, but because the racist trolls are likewise telling him he is to have visa problems, he seems to believe I am a troll as well and so he need not listen to anyone who tells him anything about visas.

I wish someone would take him in hand and explain these things to him before he gets into trouble. But his ego appears to have overcome his good sense.

My prediction, he’s going to have 3 transcontinental flights:
#1 from USA to Nigeria
#2 from Nigeria to USA
#3 immediately back to Nigeria when he’s turned away at the airport bcuz as we keep telling him you can’t stay 2 years on a 2 year visa even if you leave every 6 months

I know the racists who have been stalking him since the amazon thing are telling him this too, so now he thinks everyone who tells him this is telling him out of nastiness

But he does not understand visas. He really needs to ASK A PROFESSIONAL instead of thinking everyone’s trolling him. Like don’t listen to me, I’m just some guy too, but ask an immigration attorney or something

I don’t know anything about visas, so I can’t vouch for these statements, but K. Tempest Bradford has shared some of DerutoD’s comments as well.
K. Tempest Bradford on February 26, 2023 at 11:57 am said:

Everyone I know who lives outside the US and has traveled here on the visa Ekpeki has is telling me the same thing, so I’m confident DerutoD has the right of it. And he’s likely right that he wasn’t listened to because the racist trolls were saying the same, though their motives weren’t to be helpful. It’s sad.
Cat Eldridge on February 26, 2023 at 12:04 pm said:

I’ve had friends from Somalia with that visa and yes that’s how it worked.

They eventually got the upgraded visa that allowed them to be here full-time and eventually became US citizens but they did go back to Somalia for a full six months (they actually stayed for two weeks beyond that to be sure that there’s not a hassle on this end when they returned) before returning,
.
rcade on February 26, 2023 at 12:07 pm said:

I think DerutoD commented on File 770 on Oct. 14, 2022, as Michael D, offering the same warning that Ekpeki was wrong about how visas work and he’d be unable to leave after six months and immediately come back.
John Lorentz on February 26, 2023 at 2:52 pm said:

Ekpeki has left the country, flying back to Doha (from where he’d flown to the US).

https://twitter.com/KejeraL/status/1629961261105463300
Pingback: Ekpeki Reportedly Returned to Nigeria | File 770
Lis Carey on February 26, 2023 at 5:34 pm said:

Sad that he’s going to miss the NAA P Image Awards, but at least he’s out of the hands of Border Patrol.

I hope someone he knows and trusts can explain how the visa system works.
dave lally on February 27, 2023 at 8:44 am said:

Having met Ekpeki at Worldcon Chicon8/Chicago last Sept (and my very 1st visit to the US of A also), I echo Steve Wright’s comments, above. [ Oh and my offer to him re UK Eastercon 2023/Conversation (Fri 7-Mon 10 April inclusive) in covering his membership thereat, still stands: subject to his of course getting a UK visa to attend. (And as previously mentioned I can’t, however, cover his travel or accommodation.) ]