ICE released Bellaire High student Alim Garipov, but his detention shook Houston's Russian community

The ICE arrest of a Bellaire High student has reignited fears within Houston communities affected by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War - including both Ukrainians seeking refugee status and Russians fleeing from President Vladimir Putin's regime.

Houston high school student Alim Garipov was arrested Friday and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Houston's Hobby Airport. He was released three days later, but his detainment was enough to rattle the community, said Sophia Grinblat, founder of the local Russian-language newspaper and cultural center Our Texas.

Garipov, 18, and his family are some of the thousands of Russian families who have sought asylum in the United States since the Russia-Ukraine War began in February 2022. Many have built a life in Houston. Russian men aged 18-30 face one year of military conscription back home. Some may also face prison sentences.

Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have also sought refuge in the United States, with many earning two-year protection under the Uniting for Ukraine humanitarian parole program. Many would also face military service and additional dangers if sent home, Grinblat said. More than 16,000 civilians have died in the Russian-Ukraine War, according to a July update from the United Nations.

"They're all waiting. What will be next? No one is certain about the future," Grinblat said. "It's a horrible situation."

The Trump administration paused new applications to the Ukraine program in January 2025, and Ukrainian families looking to reapply lost access to the streamlined re-parole process. Since then, at least several dozen Ukrainians and hundreds of Russians have been deported to their home countries.

"We've turned our back on Ukrainians …. (and) we've turned our back on opponents of the Putin regime," said Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, senior policy counsel at the National Immigration Law Council.

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‘An extraordinary young man'

Garipov was traveling to visit colleges on the East Coast with family when he was arrested and detained by ICE at the airport, his teacher and neighbor Ann Linsley said.

His asylum case is pending. An ICE spokesperson said in a statement Saturday that Garipov was admitted into the U.S. May 7, 2022, as a non-immigrant with permission to remain in the country no later than Nov. 6, 2022, but failed to depart.

Garipov's detainment sparked an outpouring of support from the Bellaire High School community. An incoming senior, Garipov taught himself English and became one of the school's top students, Linsley said. Garipov is captain of the swim team, founded the school's Russian Student Association and had begun volunteering at Rice University's Bennett Lab this summer.

Dozens of classmates, teachers and friends sent letters of support pleading for his release. On Monday, U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, immigration lawyer Olsa Alikaj-Cano and Garipov's family announced his release in a joint statement.

"This outcome came after a tireless, expeditious effort over the weekend, working in partnership to secure Alim's release," the statement read. "So many people across our city-his friends, teachers, coaches, and so many others-rallied behind Alim in support, and those who know him know it's easy to understand why.  He is an extraordinary young man with a bright future ahead of him."

New fears for people seeking asylum

Garipov's arrest and release has united Houston's Russian and Ukrainian communities, Grinblat said. But she said many families remain shaken.

"The community was very disturbed," Grinblat said.

Some saw parallels between Garipov's situation and their own.

Russian native and longtime Houston resident Stanislav Artemchuk said he passed his naturalization interview and was recommended for approval in December. His case has remained pending since.

Artemchuk, who suffered from a major car accident in November, has spent the last several months recovering and chipping away at medical bills as he awaits a final decision.

"It's horrible. I think it's a big nation of immigrants, and everyone deserves opportunities," Artemchuk said. "It's getting harder and harder to live here as a foreigner."

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Asylum-seekers can still be detained

Garipov is one of several Houston-area students who have been detained by ICE. Some - including Lamar High School student Geremy Arteaga Cruz - also had pending asylum applications.

Anyone without legal immigration status - even those with pending applications - can be detained. The practice has become much more common under the Trump administration, said Mario Carrillo, campaigns director at immigration advocacy group America's Voice.

"One of the things that we've seen from this administration is an intent to completely dismantle asylum, both from preventing new asylum seekers from entering the country to make their case heard, but also from instilling fear in those asylum seekers who are in the country now, awaiting their cases to be heard," Carrillo said. "Folks are afraid to travel. Folks are afraid to shop. Folks are afraid, in certain states, to take their kids to visit the doctor … and immigrant parents are afraid to send their children to school."

Most asylum seekers are not eligible for deportation. Instead, they may be detained for several months to encourage self-departure, said Ibañez Whitlock with the National Immigration Law Center.

In 2025, the New York Times reported that the Transportation Security Administration was collaborating with ICE to provide air passenger data, which is likely how Garipov was arrested, Ibañez Whitlock said. The Houston Chronicle has reached out to the TSA for comment. 

"TSA and ICE have been sharing information for several months now," she said. "It's sort of a win-win for ICE because it allows them to grab a lot of people without really having to dedicate a lot of enforcement staff."

Those at risk of arrest at airports include those with old deportation orders, revoked legal status - such as Uniting for Ukraine - and those with pending asylum applications, according to the National Immigration Law Center's website.

Still, local immigration attorney Claudine Gasana does not recommend stopping travel entirely. Instead, she said families should know their rights, consult with legal or professional counsel and ensure all necessary documents are in order.

"I would not really want to have people live in fear," Gasana said. "I would really encourage anybody to just live their life and have your papers in place."

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