Clemson Educator Held for Expired Visa

A Syrian woman who has been teaching Arabic at Clemson University on a Fulbright program was reportedly held by federal immigration authorities because of an expired visa.

Tharwat Alsadi, 29, was reportedly taken out of her apartment on Monday and placed in the Mecklenburg County jail in Charlotte, North Carolina.

According to Alsadi's husband Taiyo Davis, she had been in the U.S. for approximately two years on a Fulbright program, the Associated Press reported. That visa had required Alsadi to return to Syria this past May.

"If we made an honest mistake in the paperwork, we want to fix it," Davis told the news provider in a telephone interview.

Davis is reportedly trying to raise $3,000 to hire a lawyer for his wife, the GreenvilleOnline.com reports.

Ivan Ortiz-Delgado, a spokesman for U.S. Customs and Enforcement agency, told the website that the arrest was part of an ongoing investigation.

"Ms. Alasadi will have every opportunity to present her case before an immigration judge who will ultimately decide whether she can remain in the U.S. or be deported to her native country," Ortiz-Delgado said.