SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — One San Diego man is breathing a sigh of relief after his wife was released from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody following what the couple describes as a “torturous” experience.
ABC 10News first spoke with Victor Korol last week after his Ukrainian wife, Viktoriia Korol — who goes by “Vika” — was detained by ICE during her routine marriage-based green card interview at the USCIS San Diego Field Office.
This week, Viktoriia was released and reunited with her husband. ABC 10News Reporter Tali Letoi followed up with the couple as they continue navigating an uncertain immigration process.
“It’s a bittersweet reunion,” Victor said. “Vika is back, so I’m very, very happy — but we’re still trying to wrap our heads around everything that happened.”
Viktoriia, a Ukrainian national who lawfully resides in the United States under Temporary Protected Status and is married to a U.S. citizen, was taken into custody on December 4. She says the most difficult part of her detention was the first three days, when she had no contact with her family or her attorney.
“You can never be ready for this kind of experience,” Viktoriia said through her husband, who helped translate her remarks. He says she remains in shock.
According to the couple, Viktoriia was handcuffed and placed in ankle restraints during processing — treatment they say felt unnecessary and dehumanizing given that she was complying with immigration procedures.
“She was telling them about her visas, but they didn’t listen,” Victor said. “They just told her she’s not American.”
When someone is detained by ICE, communication is typically restricted until they are processed and transferred to a detention facility. Viktoriia’s immigration attorney, Caroline Matthews, says that meant she was unable to reach or visit her client for three days.
“For three days, I was not able to go see her or talk through whatever legal allegations were being made against her,” Matthews said.
While Viktoriia is now home with her husband, her legal situation remains unresolved. The couple says they were not given an explanation for her release, and Viktoriia now faces pending removal proceedings.
“I have filed motions to terminate those proceedings,” Matthews said. “As a matter of law, the mistakes that have been made — both illegally and factually — should make that very simple to grant.”
For now, the fight for Viktoriia’s green card continues, even as the couple tries to recover from what they describe as a traumatic ordeal.
