What was supposed to be a hopeful day for a San Diego couple quickly turned into a frightening ordeal. Viktoriia Bulavina is a Ukrainian refugee. She went to her scheduled green card interview last Thursday.
A Routine Green Card Interview Turns Into a Shocking Detention
The appointment took place at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office. She and her husband, Viktor Korol, believed they were taking an important step toward securing her place in the United States.
Instead, Viktor walked out of the building alone.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained Bulavina immediately after the green card interview, telling the couple that her immigration status had expired — something her attorney and husband strongly dispute. Viktor says they repeatedly explained to ICE officers that Bulavina had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and had filed for an extension months before her TPS expiration date. Despite this, she was taken away.
Bulavina arrived in the United States in 2022 after fleeing the war in Ukraine. Viktor says she survived bombings, spent days hiding in a basement, and escaped to safety before coming to the U.S. under humanitarian parole. Since arriving, she has built a life with Viktor, caring for him during his battle with cancer.
Now she’s behind the walls of the Otay Mesa Detention Center, and her husband is desperately seeking help to bring her home.
A Refugee’s Life Upended After the Green Card Interview
Bulavina’s immigration path had been moving forward. In October 2023, she was granted TPS, a protection available to people fleeing unsafe countries. Three months before her TPS was set to expire, she applied for renewal. Her attorney says the online immigration portal estimated a decision within two weeks. But the renewal decision never came.
In March, USCIS sent an appointment notice for a green card interview scheduled for December 4. The couple arrived believing the green card interview was simply the next step in her immigration process.
According to Viktor, both he and their attorney tried explaining that Bulavina had legally filed for the TPS extension and was waiting for approval. But ICE insisted her status had expired and detained her immediately after the green card interview ended.
Viktor says the experience felt unreal and deeply unfair. He describes how his wife stood by him through his toughest moments — including chemotherapy treatments — and now, when she needed compassion, she was taken away.
He also shared what his wife told him about the conditions inside the detention center. She described them as harsh and inhumane. Bulavina reportedly has not been able to sleep for days. She has no phone, no spare clothes, and little comfort. She has spent her first days in detention exhausted and overwhelmed.
Viktor visited her on Sunday. He said she looked tired and distressed. He is now working closely with their attorney and doing everything he can to secure her release.
Her attorney released a statement saying, “This is a woman who did everything right. There is no justification for detaining her and tearing her away from her family.”
Family Desperation as Legal Questions Remain
For Viktor, this situation feels like something that should not happen in the United States. He grew up in the USSR and says he witnessed the kind of sudden detentions and harsh treatment that people fear in authoritarian regimes. Experiencing something similar in America has left him shocked.
He believes this is a terrible mistake and hopes a judge will review her case quickly.
NBC 7 reached out to USCIS for clarification on why Bulavina was detained despite her pending TPS renewal, but the agency has not yet responded.
For now, she remains at the Otay Mesa Immigration Detention Center while her husband continues fighting for her release. He is contacting lawyers, speaking out publicly, and trying to draw attention to what he calls a tragic injustice.
Viktor says his wife escaped a war zone only to be detained in a country she believed would keep her safe. He hopes that by sharing their story, someone with the authority to help will step forward.
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He describes his wife as a kind, brave woman who survived missiles, bombings, and fear — and who took care of him through illness. And now, he says, she needs help more than ever.
Her attorney says they are pushing for an urgent hearing and are exploring every possible legal option.
As of now, Viktoriia Bulavina remains separated from her family, waiting for answers after a green card interview that changed everything.