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Rutland woman, 70, released from federal custody after being detained at Logan Airport, immigrant advocates say
The woman was detained by federal agents even though she is a legal permanent resident, immigration activists said.
A 70-year-old Rutland woman was released Wednesday after she was detained by federal agents at Boston Logan International Airport and held for about 24 hours, according to immigration activists.
Ruth Mufute, who activists say is a legal permanent US resident, was detained at the airport Tuesday afternoon by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents as she returned from visiting family in Zimbabwe, her native country. The agents did not reveal the cause for her detention, activists said in a statement.
Mufute is the development manager at the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice (SCIJ), a Boston non-profit organization, according to Jonathan Goldman, executive director at the organization.
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“Ruth is a beloved member of our community and we are calling for her immediate release,” Goldman said in a statement Wednesday morning. “Ruth has a deep commitment to helping those around her and now is a moment when we need our community to come together to help Ruth.”
Goldman told Boston.com that Mufute’s detainment was likely “triggered by a case brought by a former employer,” but clarified that the SCIJ is “still trying to piece details together.”
An indictment from North Carolina charges Mufute with four counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to court documents. Though the case originated in North Carolina, it was later reassigned to Massachusetts District Court.
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The allegations in the indictment accuse Mufute of knowingly defrauding the US government by wiring money for housing allowances under false pretenses while working for an organization funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“Ruth Mufute was arrested at Logan Airport on April 29, 2025, on a warrant for wire fraud and conspiracy issued by the USAID Office of Inspector General,” a CBP spokesperson told Boston.com in a statement Friday.
At the time, Mufute worked for a non-governmental organization which helped assist South Africa’s response to HIV and AIDS. The organization offered housing allowances as a benefit for employees who had to move to South Africa, according to the indictment.
Mufute allegedly submitted a falsified lease agreement that she had “purportedly entered into with a fictitious landlord,” the indictment said. Mufute and others then allegedly created a fake Gmail account and false correspondences between her and the landlord.
“Even with these charges, even with whatever they are alleging she did or didn’t do, we don’t think anyone should be held in detention,” Goldman told WCVB. “For now, we see it as allegations, and regardless of what comes, we don’t want to see her detained for a single day.”
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Activists gathered outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse around noon Wednesday during Mufute’s court hearing to show their support for her and “all Massachusetts immigrant communities.”
“Join us for urgent court support for Ruth, a beloved member of the immigrant justice community who was detained at Logan Airport,” the Boston Party for Socialism and Liberation wrote on Instagram. “We demand her immediate release!”
Goldman and other supporters chanted and held signs with messages such as “free Ruth now” and “protect immigrant families!” for several hours.
“Ruth Mufute is a 70-year-old grandmother, mother, wife, and beloved member of our community,” Goldman said in a statement. “Moments like this make us ask ourselves: who do we, as a city, as a state, as a country want to be? Do we want to be a place where grandmothers are detained?”
At around 3 p.m., Mufute was released and went home with her family, Goldman told Boston.com. Supporters cheered as she exited the courthouse and hugged Goldman.
“Thankful to God that Mom’s out,” Nash Mufute, Ruth’s son, told WCVB. “We hope justice can prevail, we hope the right thing happens here because she didn’t deserve what happened.”
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Jessica Thrall, a federal public defender who, according to Goldman, represented Mufute during her hearing, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday afternoon.
This article was updated May 4 to include a comment from CBP.
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