Overview
- Melana, a longtime Oklahoma resident, was taken into immigration custody during a routine ICE check-in and now faces removal to Russia, her attorney said.
- She first entered the United States on a fiancée visa, later survived an abusive marriage that her lawyer describes as trafficking, and received a 2003 removal order converted to supervised check-ins.
- Her legal team says it filed a habeas corpus petition and sought protection based on her trafficking survivor status, but they now consider formal legal options exhausted.
- Her attorney is asking ICE to use humanitarian discretion, which allows the agency to decline executing a removal order in cases where harm is likely.
- Syracuse researchers report deportations of Russians increased after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, reaching 319 in March, though removals still occur far more often to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador.