In 2017, Samantha Surovtsev met her husband, Roman Surovtsev, during an exhilarating day of jet skiing. Their relationship blossomed, and from the beginning, Roman was transparent about his past. He shared that he had immigrated to the United States as a refugee from the former Soviet Union when he was just four years old. As a teenager, Roman faced significant challenges; his green card was revoked after he pleaded guilty to charges of carjacking and burglary in California. Following his release from prison in 2014, he encountered further difficulties in navigating the U.S. immigration system.
Roman spent time in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, where officials attempted — unsuccessfully — to deport him to either Ukraine or Russia. Legal documents reviewed by NPR indicate that both nations were unable to verify Roman's citizenship, as he left before the Soviet Union's dissolution. Consequently, he was unable to obtain the necessary travel documents for deportation. Since then, Roman has been required to check in with ICE annually, a process that many immigrants in the U.S. who are deemed stateless endure.
Throughout their journey, the Surovtsevs have experienced many of the challenges faced by thousands of immigrants in the U.S. They got married, welcomed children, and successfully started a small commercial painting business in Texas. However, their lives took a dramatic turn in early August when a routine check-in at the Dallas ICE field office unexpectedly turned into a harrowing ordeal. Samantha recalls waiting in the parking lot, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about the outcome of the appointment. “There were tears involved, just not knowing what was on the other side of that appointment,” she told NPR. Soon after, she received a distressing call from Roman, identifying himself as a detainee.
Roman became one of many who have been detained during routine check-ins with ICE, reflecting the administration's push to meet a one-million-person annual deportation target. What distinguishes Roman’s case is the advocacy led by his wife, who has assembled a dedicated team of lawyers to fight on his behalf. Unlike many others targeted for deportation under the Trump administration's policies, Roman has the opportunity to present his case in front of a judge.
“People need to understand that there’s a human element involved with immigration; every story is unique,” Samantha emphasized. “Every case deserves to be heard in front of a judge. This is not a black-and-white situation.” According to their legal team, ICE has attempted to deport Roman to Ukraine, despite the country’s inability to provide documentation confirming his citizenship and the risk of being drafted into armed conflict there.
In court, Roman’s lawyers argue that his re-detention is unconstitutional, citing the lack of any changes that would facilitate his deportation and asserting that there is little likelihood of his removal in the foreseeable future. The absurdity of Roman's situation was starkly highlighted during his time at the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Texas. This facility, which was already over capacity during the summer, also housed migrants from Venezuela. Roman received deportation paperwork in Ukrainian, a language he neither speaks nor reads, further complicating his case.
The Justice Department, which represents the government in such cases, maintains that Roman’s re-detention is legal due to new requests for travel documents from Ukraine. The deportation officer handling Roman's case, Zachery Hagerty, suggested that Roman might be deported to a third country, even if not to Ukraine. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to inquiries about Roman's specific situation.
In a positive development, Roman's legal team has managed to vacate his carjacking conviction, arguing that he was not adequately informed of the immigration consequences when he initially pleaded guilty as a teenager. Eric Lee, a partner at the law firm Lee and Godshall-Bennett, emphasized the straightforwardness of the situation: “It’s not a complex question. He’s going to get his green card back in a matter of time, which only makes it more callous and absurd that the administration continues to try and remove him to a country where his removal would effectively be a death sentence.”
During Roman's detention, which has now lasted over two months, he has missed significant family milestones, including his wedding anniversary and his daughter’s birthday, along with his mother’s recent health issues. Samantha has faced considerable challenges, having to cancel approximately two months’ worth of jobs for their painting business, leaving their two employees without work. Each day, she informs potential customers of her family emergency, turning down an average of five work leads.
Instead of focusing on work, Samantha has devoted her time to collaborating with attorneys across the nation to vacate her husband’s conviction, reinstate his green card, and secure his release from detention. Immigration advocates argue that the rapid approach to increasing arrests and removals under the Trump administration undermines due process for immigrants, reducing their chances of contesting deportation when they may have valid claims to remain in the U.S.
Lawyers have noted that the Trump administration has taken steps that compromise due process, with the president previously stating that it wouldn’t be feasible for all those targeted for removal to receive a trial. Furthermore, immigration officers have been instructed to make arrests in courts, even when judges have told immigrants to return for their cases. The Homeland Security Department has mandated that immigrants must be detained while their proceedings are ongoing, which is particularly burdensome for those who entered the country without legal status.
Despite the challenges, there are many individuals in similar situations, with several habeas cases filed over the summer addressing issues of re-detention. The legal process can be slow and complex, and many individuals in immigration detention lack the legal representation necessary to navigate their cases effectively. Eric Lee highlights that the government is attempting to do something it cannot achieve: deport Roman Surovtsev to Ukraine. The outcome of this case remains to be seen as the Surovtsevs continue their fight for justice and reunification.
