A family of Russian refugees who fled their home country after protesting against the invasion of Ukraine told The Guardian that they are planning to leave the United States after the father was arrested and placed in detention despite their having "never broken any rules."
Sergei and Marina, whose names were withheld from publication to avoid reprisals from the U.S. or Russian governments, told the newspaper that they legally entered the United States via the Mexico border three years ago, while she was pregnant with their two-year-old daughter. They told immigration officials at the time that Marina had been arrested in Russia for protesting against the invasion of Ukraine and feared that she could be arrested and imprisoned if they returned, or that Sergei could be drafted to fight in the war.
The couple told the Guardian that they have remained in the U.S. while waiting to argue their case before an immigration judge, living in the San Francisco area. Last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement summoned Sergei to an ICE office in San Francisco where he was arrested, allegedly for missing a previous summons, and placed in a detention center about 250 miles from his family and told he would have to reapply for asylum.
Marina said that she and Sergei, who is allowed phone calls from the detention center, have discussed relocating to Serbia so the family can be together.
"It's kind of crazy, because we have to start life from point zero once again," Marina said in an interview. "But it's much better than being separated, or worse."
She added, "I left home so that I wouldn't be afraid to be put into prison again. When I came here, I thought, worst case they can refuse us asylum. But I didn't expect that something like this could happen. Not again."
Marina noted that she and her husband "have never broken any rules. It's easier to take someone who doesn't break any rules. If you ask him to come, he will – and you can just take him."
Immigration attorney Julia Nikolaev told the Guardian last month that "Only Russians and a few other post-Soviet nationals remain in detention until their final hearings," and that some Russians in detention have been there for more than a year.
"This is how the U.S. treats people who protest against Russia's policies," said Alexei Demin, a 62-year-old former naval officer who was detained and separated from his wife after applying for asylum in the United States in the summer of 2024, adding that the situation is "a trap and a blatant injustice."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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