Get the Facts: Could a Maine hospital sponsor a green card for a nurse in ICE custody?In the wake of Debora Kapisha's detainment, some protesters are calling on MaineHealth to sponsor her green card so she can work in the United States permanentlyPORTLAND, Maine — Maine’s Total Coverage has confirmed that Debora Kapisha, a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center, is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. The Maine State Nurses Association said ICE agents detained Kapisha on Thursday, July 30, while she was traveling through Boston Logan International Airport.In the wake of Kapisha's detainment, some protesters are calling on MaineHealth to sponsor her green card so she can work in the United States permanently.Nurses are considered skilled workers, making them eligible for an EB-3 visa, which provides permanent resident status.If an employer wants to sponsor an EB-3 visa, it must file Form I-140 and submit evidence showing it can pay the worker fair wages, that the worker has the required experience and licensing for the job, and that hiring a foreign worker will not eliminate job opportunities for U.S. citizens.The final requirement is known as labor certification. While that step typically adds time to the application process, hospitals sponsoring nurses are exempt because the U.S. Department of Labor has already determined there is a shortage of qualified American nurses.According to Department of Homeland Security fee schedules, the application costs between $665 and $1,265. Hospitals may also choose to hire an immigration attorney to help prepare and file the paperwork, adding to the overall cost.According to industry websites, the current wait time for an EB-3 visa is about two-and-a-half years from application to final approval. Processing times can be longer depending on the applicant's country of origin.