Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained University of Oklahoma professor Vahid Abedini as he prepared to travel to an academic conference; he was released days later. Abedini holds an H‑1B visa and the detention drew condemnation from academic associations and colleagues who warned the action could chill scholarly travel and conference participation. The arrest has renewed faculty concerns about immigration enforcement intersecting with academic work and raises questions about procedural safeguards for international scholars. Associations including the Middle East Studies Association called for transparency and protections to prevent wrongful detentions of visa holders engaged in academic activity.