In a troubling instance of immigration enforcement, Viktoriia Bulavina, a Ukrainian refugee and wife of a San Diego man, Viktor Korol, was detained by ICE immediately following her green card interview. Bulavina, who came to the U.S. on a humanitarian parole to escape the war in Ukraine, had no known criminal record and was compliant with immigration requirements, as reported by NBC San Diego. She arrived in the U.S. in 2022 and was granted Temporary Protected Status, which she had applied to renew in January. Yet, during a routine procedure meant to solidify her residency, she found herself stripped from her husband's side, a man embattled with cancer and for whom she has been a caregiver.
Her husband, Korol, expressed his disbelief and frustration over the events, stating, "This is a complete and utter injustice that is happening to my wife, which is frustrating. It cannot happen in the United States." Korol draws a stark comparison to the inhumanities he thought were left behind in the USSR, now echoed in the country he calls home, according to his interview with NBC San Diego. His wife's attorney echoed these sentiments, insisting, "This is a woman who did everything right…There is no justification for detaining her and tearing her away from her family."
Meanwhile, Caroline Matthews, a supervising attorney for Pathways to Citizenship, described the broader context of the immigration system's current shortcomings. "This is widespread and a daily occurrence here in San Diego and throughout the nation that people's constitutional rights and legal protections have all but vanished," Matthews revealed in a statement obtained by CBS 8. Her critical view comes in light of reports that immigrants regularly endure several days in detention and unlawful treatment within the system.
Viktoriia's treatment in the detention center has been far from hospitable. With reports of her enduring prolonged periods without sleep and harsh conditions, Korol shares troubling details: "She said [they have a] very harsh and inhumane attitude. Basically, you don’t have anything, you don’t have a phone, you don’t have spare clothes, she basically didn’t sleep for three days," he told NBC San Diego. The situation is exacerbated as Korol awaits an opportunity for his wife to be heard by a judge, hoping for her swift release and a resolution to what has become an unexpected battle with ICE.
