Hi. Yes, hello. Kessena, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us again. My name is Jess.

Appreciate you doing this. It sounds like it's pretty crazy over there. How are you?

Yeah, hello, hello, hello. I'm fine. I mean, as much as I can.

That's Kesey Petrova. She's a scientist at Harvard Medical School, studying how cells in the human

body rejuvenate themselves. But right now, Kisenya is

trapped. Instead of calling from her lab in Massachusetts, she's calling from an immigration detention

center in Louisiana. We just had to have a lunch, so we just came back to our dorm. A lot of noise

and things are going. You said you're in your dorm? See a lot of noise and things are going.

You said you're in your dorm?

See a lot of people behind you.

Yes.

Oh, yeah, okay.

You can see.

So this is a room where all our life is currently happening.

So it's a big, big room.

You can see on the part of it, and they can, if I remove

my face. I spoke with Kesey over a video call. She was in a big room made of metal and concrete,

filled with rows of bunk beds. Behind Kessena, I could just make out dozens of people milling around,

all seeming to wear the same khaki jumpsuit.

But despite her surroundings, Kessanya seemed in good spirits, laughing nervously.

I asked her what life was like in detention.

The food is absolutely terrible.

...