Ivan, a 28-year-old gay man from Russia, faced violence due to his sexual orientation, including multiple discriminatory encounters with police that led to beatings so severe he was hospitalized. Before reaching the U.S.-Mexico border, he typed a four-page account of his persecution in English. He crossed at the Calexico border checkpoint on February 14 with a group of nine Russians, including a family with four children and a 4-month-old baby. He was immediately handcuffed with his hands behind his back and his legs chained to a bench. He told two different officers he wanted political asylum and pointed to the documents in his bag. Both ignored him. There was no Russian translator, no information about asylum, and no interview. He was shackled and flown to Panama on a military plane. In Panama, he told IOM he was LGBT and feared return, but IOM only offered to buy him a ticket to Russia. He later had panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. He asked IOM for psychological help.