Nikita and Oksana, a Russian couple who fled Russia and requested asylum at the Otay Mesa port of entry in October 2025, were detained with their three children (ages 4, 12, and 14) at Dilley Immigration Processing Center for over four months, despite a federal court limit of 20 days for detaining minors. An asylum officer found the family had credible fear of persecution based on Nikita's activism against the Russian government. During detention, the children experienced deteriorating conditions including worms found in food and inadequate medical care. Their 12-year-old daughter Kamilla developed partial hearing loss in one ear after a poorly treated infection; their 13-year-old son Kirill suffers from anxiety and panic attacks; and their 4-year-old son Konstantin became frightened by guards. During release, facility staff told the family they could leave and they purchased plane tickets to California for $1,500, but were then told they could not depart and received no explanation. The 14-year-old became suicidal. Within a day, with help from friends, they purchased new tickets and were released.