Ukrainian Woman Who Escaped the Russian Invasion Arrested by ICE During Her Green Card Interview

Ukrainian woman Viktoriia Bulavina, who fled the Russian invasion in 2022, was detained by ICE during her green card interview in San Diego last week, despite maintaining legal status throughout her time in the US.

The 46-year-old, married to US citizen Victor Korol, had her routine appointment turn into an arrest on 4 December 2025, leaving her family in shock and igniting concerns over escalating immigration enforcement. As of 11 December 2025, she remains in custody at Otay Mesa Detention Center, with lawyers decrying the move as unjust.

Escape from War: Bulavina's Journey to the US

Bulavina's ordeal began amid the chaos of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From her home in Kharkiv, she endured bombings and missile strikes, sheltering in a basement for a week before fleeing to Italy and eventually the US under the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole programme in September that year.

Her daughter had arrived earlier with the Ukrainian national gymnastics team, displaced by the conflict. Bulavina, who ran a window blinds installation business back home, quickly adapted to life in California. She obtained Temporary Protected Status (TPS) in October 2023, which allowed her to live and work legally until April 2025, with an extension applied for in January amid ongoing hostilities in Ukraine.

In San Diego, she met Korol on Tinder in 2023. The pair, both from Kharkiv, bonded over shared roots and married in November 2024. Korol, a 53-year-old engineer who has lived in the US since 2006, was diagnosed with lymph node cancer in summer 2024 and underwent chemotherapy—treatment Bulavina supported him through, providing what he called steadiness during his remission.

Detained by ICE During Green Card Interview: What Happened

The green card interview at the USCIS office in downtown San Diego proceeded normally for about an hour on 4 December, with the officer reviewing documents and assuring the couple everything seemed in order. Bulavina was then asked to step out briefly. Upon return, two ICE agents entered, handcuffed her, and announced her detention, citing an expired status—despite her pending TPS extension and humanitarian parole protections.

Korol and their attorney from Pathways to Citizenship attempted to intervene, presenting paperwork, but agents refused discretion. Bulavina, with no criminal record anywhere, was held initially at a federal building basement before transfer to Otay Mesa, where conditions have been described as harsh: no phone access, limited clothing, and sleepless nights. DHS officials maintained she was an 'illegal alien' after April 2025, a claim her lawyers refute as novel and baseless given her compliance.

Korol recalled: 'Both attorney and me, we were talking to the ICE people, explaining to them her status... but they were saying her status was expired.' The incident fits a pattern of recent detentions at San Diego interviews, linked to the Trump administration's deportation push.

Family Anguish and Broader Outcry

Korol, originally from the USSR, likened the event to inhumane treatment in authoritarian regimes, expressing frustration: 'This is a complete and utter injustice... It cannot happen in the United States.' Their attorney, Caroline Matthews, called it tragic: 'This is a woman who did everything right... There is no justification for detaining her.'

Public reactions have surged online, with one X post from Tetyana Denford noting Bulavina's legal entry and detention as emblematic of broader issues.

Advocacy groups plan a writ of habeas corpus, while Korol has launched letter campaigns to Congress.

Bulavina's case highlights tensions in US immigration amid the Ukrainian refugee crisis, with her green card process stalled. As hearings loom, her family awaits resolution, underscoring debates over TPS and parole in a hardening enforcement landscape. No ICE comment was available by press time.