According to a recent report by The New York Times, Brent Kindler is a staunch supporter of MAGA (Make America Great Again). His Russian wife traveled thousands of miles to the United States in an attempt to seek asylum, but she was detained by ICE. Kindler, who once took pride in supporting MAGA, now says that the entire world has been turned upside down.
Kindra is a technology product salesman who voted for Trump three times. He was mainly attracted by Trump's tough immigration policies. However, he never expected that this enforcement crackdown would affect his own family.
Last month, shortly after getting off the plane in Berkshire, California, a young man wearing a brown hoodie stopped his wife, Galina Bobrevna.
Galina Boreneva and her husband Brent Kindra
The man said to her, “Congratulations, you have been selected for a second screening.” It was only later that the couple realized that the person was a federal agent.
After asking about Bobreeva for about 15 minutes, the agent put handcuffs on her and took her into a unmarked vehicle. “I was just performing my duties,” he said to comfort her at that time, “everything will be okay.”
Thus, Bobreeva began a 16-day nightmare: she spent the first night on the floor of an underground detention center in downtown Los Angeles, and then was transferred to a detention center in the Mojave Desert, where she was held for two weeks. Meanwhile, her family was desperately trying to get her released through legal channels.
Finally, after paying a bail of $35,000 and wearing electronic handcuffs, she was released. However, she still faces accusations from the federal government regarding her visa expiration, and is fighting to stay in the United States.
Bobreeva's green card application is currently under review. Her lawyer insists that she has never been in an illegal status.
Her case reflects the new policy of the Trump administration: arresting at airports those who have expired visas, who are under immigration proceedings, and who have no criminal record. Although federal law allows for the detention of green card applicants with expired visas, previous administrations did not consider them to be illegal residents. However, as the Trump administration doubles the number of daily arrests to 2,000, thousands of people who believe they are complying with the rules are facing expulsion.
"At age 48, Jin De La said: ‘The main attraction of the MAGA movement lies in preventing criminal elements from illegally entering the country. But no one has ever authorized Trump to turn his gun towards those who legally entered the country.’"
During the response to the case involving Bobulieva, the Ministry of Land and Resources stated in a statement that she was an "illegal foreigner" and cited her as a target for arrest because "she exceeded the allowed visa duration and violated domestic laws." The agency explicitly clarified: "It should be noted that work permits or pending applications do not grant legal status in the United States."
Kindler once was proud of being a MAGA patriot, until his wife was detained. “She didn’t cross the border by land, nor did she cross the river; she entered through Trump’s beautiful door legally.”
Bobreeva arrived in the United States with a tourist visa at the end of 2021. After the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, she renewed her visa twice and applied for asylum in 2022.
In March 2025, she met Kendra, and they got married in December of the same year. Kendra said, “It was like a romantic story from a fairy tale.”
In April of this year, Indra submitted an application to secure a green card based on their marriage. They have received an official confirmation that their application has been accepted, and she has also completed the fingerprint process.
This newly married couple purchased a "dream house" in Cleveland, Ohio, and plans to move there soon.
They originally planned to travel to the wine town in Sonoma County to celebrate Bobrevna’s 40th birthday on July 16. Indra booked a suite at a boutique hotel, prepaid visits to three wineries, and hired a driver.
However, they failed to make it there.
On July 13th, the couple flew from San Francisco to Berwyn. Indra planned to meet with clients there, while Bobrevna intended to spend time with friends. When they were stopped by plain-clothed agents at the airport, they initially thought it was a scam. Indra recalled, “When you see an ICE badge, you know it’s real.”
He immediately called an immigration lawyer, but the agent refused to talk with him. They informed him that Bobreeva would be taken into a room, and her husband would remain in the waiting hall, with both sides being accompanied by Burbank airport police.
In the room, the agent told Bobreeva that her visa had expired.
She said, “That’s a mistake,” and explained that she was in the process of obtaining a green card, presenting the relevant documents.
Therefore, when the officer handed out handcuffs, Bobreeva was stunned. She requested to give her engagement ring and other jewelry to her husband. Then she was taken away, with the officer only saying that Dindra would know where to find her.
Kendra was furious: “An American citizen watched as his wife was taken away, without knowing where she was taken.”
That white SUV sped away, disappearing into the night. Bobrevna was alone with two men. She once worried about her safety, until they arrived at ICE facilities.
She was locked in a cold room, sharing the room with several women. She remembered an immigrant in her 70s, thin and suffering from diabetes, who pleaded for insulin, but there was no response. Bobreneva curled up on the ground, wrapped in a tin foil blanket.
About 18 hours later, her ankle, waist, and wrist were shackled, along with several other immigrants, and shoved into an unmarked van. Bounced around in the stifling van, they were sent to the detention center in Adelanto.
Bobu Lei-neva expressed this: "I feel like a piece of meat, not like a person."
She still said: "You have become a number, nobody cares about you, without compassion."
When she put on her blue prison uniform and was assigned to bed L63 in the female section, it was already 5 a.m. Just 30 minutes later, as she was about to fall asleep, a deafening order of naming came from the loudspeaker, demanding that everyone count their numbers and line up for breakfast.
Bobreineva said that sleep deprivation is the norm. The lights were always on, and the guards' handheld walkie-talkies were constantly ringing day and night. Bobreineva recalled that on her birthday, she shared chocolates bought from the convenience store with Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Armenian detainees.
Bobreineva described people who suffered from neglect, dirt, and despair: 120 women shared 7 showers, of which only 4 were functional; drinking water was scarce; sick people were refused treatment until their conditions became so severe that hospitalization was necessary.
The GEO Group that operates the detention center refused to comment on the charges against Bobreeva and referred the issue to ICE.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: “Any claims about the poor conditions at the Adelanto ICE facility are false. All detainees receive proper meals, water, medical care, and have the opportunity to communicate with their families and lawyers.” ICE did not respond to other questions.
Kindla visits three times a week while she is allowed to see her family, and efforts are made to secure her release. Two weeks later, their lawyer Patrick Valdez obtained a bond hearing, scheduled for July 28th. On July 29th, Bobrevna was released on bail of $35,000, wearing an ankle monitor, and was ordered to report to the San Francisco ICE on August 5th.
The night before reporting, the two had dinner together at a seafood restaurant in Redwood City. Bobleneva hardly touched her crab cake.
She has always had trouble falling asleep, fearing that she would be detained again. “I never thought that taking a person’s freedom would be so easy.”
Golden Dera was equally tense and uneasy. “I am living in fear in my own country.”
The next morning, they joined the long queue outside the Immigration Bureau building, which wound through the neighborhood. More than two hours later, Bobreeva and her lawyer entered together. When they came out, the ICE instructed her to report again on September 7th.
Bourneeva and Kindla are waiting in San Francisco to report to ICE.
The couple returned home, where the unopened birthday gifts and deflated balloons were placed on the dining table. Next to them, a vase held two dozen withered roses.
On this, Bohublieva expressed her despondency, "I can celebrate nothing."
Her first court appearance is scheduled for October 22nd, but her case will take several months to resolve. Due to the electronic monitoring device worn by her, Boboleyevna's movement range is restricted within a confined area.
Last Sunday, the couple went to the beach, and Bobreneva “was enjoying her freedom”.
"Golden Dragon's sarcasm was a complete ‘75-mile radius of freedom’.”
