Trafficking survivor Milana Swope detained by ICE, faces deportation to Russia after eight months
May 6, 2026·Location: Oklahoma, OK
Country of origin: Russia

Milana Swope, a trafficking survivor who arrived in the U.S. on a fiancée visa in 2001, was detained by ICE in September 2025 during a routine check-in she had maintained for over 20 years. She received a removal order in 2003 after leaving an abusive first marriage but remained under ICE supervision while raising her child in the U.S. After nearly eight months in detention at ICE's Alexandria Staging Facility in Louisiana, Swope faces deportation to Russia, where she has not lived since the early 2000s and where ongoing conflict presents safety concerns. Her attorney states ICE has not previously sought her removal despite the standing order, and questions why the agency is not recognizing her status as a trafficking victim.
Sources
- Oklahoma woman detained by ICE faces deportation to Russia
KOCO·May 6, 2026·archived copy
- After two decades in U.S., Tulsan faces deportation to Russia
tulsaflyer.org·May 19, 2026·archived copy
- Oklahoma mother faces deportation to Russia as family seeks mercy
WLKY·May 7, 2026·archived copy
WBAL·May 7, 2026·archived copy
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