Three Ukrainian nationals who entered the United States under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program have ended up in immigration detention near Buffalo, with two still held behind bars and a third released only after posting a $25,000 bond. One of the detained men, a 59-year-old retired police officer from Zaporizhzhia, remains held in Batavia.
The cases are laid out in a November 8 press release from New York attorney Elena Dvoinik, who represents all three men and says they entered the country through the same humanitarian parole program before running into immigration enforcement. Two remain detained at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, New York, according to the release, while the third was released on bond. Dvoinik is challenging the men's detentions.
A Gas Station Arrest and a Delayed Second Surgery
Vitaliy Stavnisty, described in the release as a 59-year-old retired Ukrainian police officer, athlete, and former transportation company owner from Zaporizhzhia, was arrested by ICE at a gas station in the Buffalo area on October 18. He had helped evacuate thousands of civilians from Mariupol and other war-affected areas and took part in delivering humanitarian supplies, the release states. He entered the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine program, and his humanitarian parole is valid through May 2028 — yet he remains detained in Batavia, according to the release.
In his federal habeas case, Stavnisty v. Ball et al., case number 1:26-cv-02482-JLS, Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. issued an order on October 30 directing the government to respond by November 13 and to address applicable Second Circuit precedent, the release says.
A Seaman From Mariupol Denied Bond
Roman Serdiuk is described in the release as a Ukrainian national from Mariupol and a professional international seaman holding a bachelor's degree in navigation, who has worked aboard commercial vessels since 2015 on six-month rotations. He departed Mariupol for a maritime assignment in August 2021, months before the city fell under Russian control in May 2022. Serdiuk also entered the U.S. through the Uniting for Ukraine program, and his application for renewed parole remains pending before USCIS, according to the release.
ICE arrested Serdiuk at a gas station in the Buffalo area on September 28, and he remains detained in Batavia, the release states. In his case, Serdiuk v. Ball et al., case number 1:26-cv-02567-LJV, Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo issued a November 5 order barring Serdiuk's transfer outside the Western District of New York and directing the government to show cause by November 12 why his habeas petition should not be granted.
Released on Bond
The third man was released on a $25,000 immigration bond, according to the release.
The Detention Cases and Facility Scrutiny
The detention cases come against a broader backdrop at the Batavia facility, which a July 2026 report from Spectrum News described as the only ICE-run detention center in New York State. The outlet cited TRAC data showing the facility's average daily population had exceeded 700 since November 2025, and noted that a 2025 inspection by the DHS Office of Inspector General identified serious concerns there, including use-of-force incidents that violated policy.
Nationally, Spectrum News, citing the American Immigration Council, reported that by November 2025 ICE was operating 104 more detention facilities than it had at the start of that year, a 91 percent increase in capacity.
