Key Takeaways
• Sergey Kostenyuk, a green card holder, was unexpectedly detained by ICE despite living in the U.S. for 30 years.
• Recent policies target green card holders for old, even expunged, convictions, leading to sudden detentions and family disruptions.
• Families and communities face hardships as legal residents encounter new risks of detention, regardless of crime severity or recency.
The quiet start to Sergey Kostenyuk’s day gave no hint of the trouble ahead. It was an ordinary February day in Spokane, Washington, and Sergey was doing what he and his wife, Mary Loisate, have done for years: building and selling backyard sheds and chicken coops. The couple, who built a life together in the United States 🇺🇸, ran a small business that specialized in custom-made wooden sheds, with their Western saloon-style chicken coop as a customer favorite.
But when Sergey left home that morning to meet a potential buyer from Facebook Marketplace, his life changed. Instead of a handshake over a coop sale, Sergey was greeted by a plainclothes man holding a photo of one of his own creations. The man said, “This is not exactly what I want. I’m from immigration. I’m here to arrest you.” In that moment, Sergey’s day—rooted in family and honest work—ended with him being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A Shocking Arrest for a Longtime Resident
Sergey Kostenyuk’s story puts a human face on a new trend in American immigration enforcement. Despite holding a green card and living in the United States 🇺🇸 for over 30 years, Sergey found himself the subject of an arrest that sent waves of worry through immigrants, especially legal permanent residents who have lived in the country for decades. Sergey, who first arrived as a refugee from Ukraine 🇺🇦, built not just a business, but a family in Spokane. He and Mary are raising two sons together.
That February day, Sergey believed he was meeting someone interested in his handiwork, but instead he was detained by ICE, the federal agency in charge of catching and detaining people who might not have the right status to stay in the country. His wife, Mary, who manages the business side of their company while Sergey does the building, was left shocked and heartbroken. As she shared, she simply wants Sergey back home.
The reason behind Sergey Kostenyuk’s sudden arrest seems connected to a conviction from about seven years ago. The exact nature of this old case was not detailed in local news reports. His attorney, Amanda Ng from the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, explained that the current enforcement policies do not just focus on people with serious or violent criminal records. As reported by VisaVerge.com, Ng said, “Under this administration, it’s not really about who has a serious, violent conviction. They’re not even looking at factors like danger. They’re just picking people up and detaining them and then kind of figuring it out later.”
Green Card Holders: Facing New Risks, Old Worries
Sergey Kostenyuk is far from the only permanent resident to face this kind of enforcement. A similar situation happened recently to Cliona Ward, a 53-year-old nurse from Ireland 🇮🇪, who has also held a green card and lived in the United States 🇺🇸 for three decades. Ward was stopped and questioned at the San Francisco airport when arriving from Ireland. She was detained by ICE agents over a 2007 drug offense—a case that had been expunged, which means it was erased from her record.
Ward was taken to Tacoma, Washington, where, according to her sister Orla Holladay, she was “handcuffed, shackled, and escorted through the airport like a hardened criminal.” This treatment echoed the shock and confusion surrounding many green card holders’ encounters with immigration agents. These people live, work, and pay taxes in the United States, often with families of their own. Yet they now face risks similar to Sergey: detention or possible removal for old offenses, even if those issues were resolved in court long ago.
What is a Green Card, and Why Does It Matter?
A green card shows that a person is a legal permanent resident. This document allows immigrants to live and work in the United States 🇺🇸, and it is usually a step before becoming a U.S. citizen. Green card holders can work for any employer, travel outside the United States, and access some government benefits. But holding a green card is not the same as U.S. citizenship—green card holders can still lose their status in certain cases.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a green card holder can lose their status for things like certain criminal offenses, failing to notify authorities of address changes, or living outside the United States for too long without permission. In Sergey Kostenyuk’s and Cliona Ward’s cases, earlier legal issues appear to have triggered ICE detention—showing that even old troubles can have new consequences.
Why Is This Happening? The Move Toward Maximum Enforcement
Immigration lawyers and advocates say that recent policy changes are to blame for the growing number of green card holders being detained or facing deportation. The current administration is pushing for what some call “maximum enforcement,” aiming to deport millions of immigrants, as promised on the campaign trail.
Before, ICE focused most of its efforts on people with recent or serious crimes, especially those involving violence, drugs, or threats to public safety. Now, legal experts note, things are different. Under these stricter rules, even green card holders with non-violent or expunged convictions from many years past face detention or removal from the United States.
Amanda Ng, Sergey Kostenyuk’s attorney, pointed out, “This is about picking people up and detaining them, no matter how long they have lived in the country or how small their offense was.” Immigration agencies are now less concerned with the seriousness or recency of a conviction. Instead, people with any kind of record may be seen as targets for enforcement.
Impact on Families and Communities
The effects of these enforcement changes go far beyond those detained. For Sergey Kostenyuk, being taken away meant leaving his wife to run the family business alone and care for their young sons. For Mary, the stress and uncertainty of Sergey’s detention hit hard. She has to worry not only about losing her husband but also about losing the person who builds the products their business depends on.
In Cliona Ward’s case, her sister shared how traumatic it was for her family. Ward’s chronically ill son depends heavily on her, and her absence creates immediate practical and emotional problems. These stories highlight how immigration enforcement is not just about individuals—it deeply affects loved ones, children, coworkers, and entire communities.
Is Detention Always the Only Option?
ICE has several tools at its disposal when dealing with foreign-born residents with past criminal records. Detention centers are supposed to be for those who pose a public safety risk or are likely to flee. However, advocates argue that these standards are no longer being followed strictly.
Some groups, like the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, say that immigrants who have lived in the United States 🇺🇸 for many years and have families and businesses should be considered for other options, such as supervised release, while their cases are reviewed. Locking up legal residents without first checking the seriousness of their past convictions, they argue, is unnecessarily harsh.
Sergey Kostenyuk’s arrest by undercover officials during an everyday transaction demonstrates how the current system can surprise even those who feel safe because of their green card status. His case brings to the front questions about fairness, due process, and the basic values of a country built by immigrants.
Access to Legal Help and Due Process
Getting legal help has become more important—and more difficult—under stricter enforcement. Attorneys must act quickly to request hearings, argue for release, and push back against detention or possible deportation. Language barriers, lack of information, and fear can stop immigrants from knowing their rights or seeking assistance.
In the case of both Kostenyuk and Ward, family members worked hard to get in touch with legal aid groups or private lawyers. Groups like the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project help families understand detention, release processes, and possible strategies for fighting removal. Access to these groups isn’t always easy, and many immigrants are left in the dark about what steps to take or where to turn for help.
Those who are detained have the right to a hearing before an immigration judge. Yet, as Amanda Ng notes, being picked up by ICE does not always mean the agency has carefully reviewed a person’s case before locking them up. Many times, the system “figures it out later,” leading to separations and stress for families who depend on a relative’s income and care.
Historical Context: How Did We Get Here?
To understand why legal permanent residents like Sergey Kostenyuk are now subject to stricter rules, it helps to look back at how American immigration policy has changed over the years. Laws passed in 1996, such as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, made it easier for the government to detain and remove people for a wide range of offenses, even if those cases were old or had been resolved by the courts.
In the years since, different presidents have set different enforcement priorities. Sometimes, administrations focused on undocumented immigrants who crossed the border recently or had recent, violent convictions. Other times, the approach has been more broad—like now—catching all those with any past record, regardless of the circumstances or how long ago the events happened.
The trend toward “maximum enforcement” appears to be growing, affecting not only new arrivals but also long-term, legal residents like Sergey Kostenyuk.
The Bigger Picture: What Does This Mean for Green Card Holders?
These new practices send a clear message: holding a green card does not mean complete safety. For green card holders across the country, traveling abroad and returning may now bring new risks, especially if they have any record with the law—no matter how old or minor.
Even for those who have lived in the United States 🇺🇸 for decades, built families, and never broken new laws, one mistake in the past can follow them for life under the current system. The fear of being detained, held in a government center, or sent back to a country they may no longer know hangs over many families.
Differing Views and the Path Forward
Supporters of tougher enforcement argue that anyone with a criminal record should face strict review, even those with a green card. They believe this protects public safety and sends a strong message that rules and laws matter.
On the other hand, critics say that current actions go too far. They point out that many legal permanent residents have already served their time, paid fines, or had their records cleared by judges. Separating families, removing the main breadwinner, or tearing otherwise law-abiding people away from children and businesses does not look like justice to them.
Some have called for Congress to change the rules to ensure that only those who pose a real threat to society are targeted for detention or removal. Others focus on making sure every green card holder knows their rights and can access a lawyer if faced with possible ICE detention.
Where To Go for Help
The stories of Sergey Kostenyuk and Cliona Ward highlight the need for green card holders and their families to stay informed. The government’s own website gives helpful details on legal permanent resident rights and responsibilities. Knowing what can lead to loss of green card status and how to respond if contacted by ICE is more important than ever.
Key Takeaways for Immigrants and Their Families
- Green card holders should know that past criminal records—even those long ago or expunged—can lead to detention or removal.
- Staying up to date on your status, reporting address changes, and seeking legal advice if concerned about travel or encounters with ICE is wise.
- Families affected by detention can turn to groups like the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project for guidance, though this help may not be available everywhere.
- The trend toward broad enforcement means that the circle of risk has grown wider, touching people who once felt protected by their green card.
- Legal and policy changes could affect who is targeted in the future, but under current rules, even old or minor offenses may have major consequences.
For those watching the cases of Sergey Kostenyuk and others, these stories show how changes in immigration enforcement can turn ordinary moments into life-changing events. At the heart of each case is a family disrupted and a community asking—what does it mean to be safe, settled, and secure in a country built by immigrants?
Learn Today
Green Card → A document granting legal permanent resident status in the U.S., allowing the holder to live and work indefinitely.
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) → Federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, including detaining and deporting non-citizens.
Expunged Conviction → A criminal record that has been legally erased or sealed, making it inaccessible in most situations.
Legal Permanent Resident → An immigrant authorized to live and work in the U.S. permanently, but not a citizen.
Maximum Enforcement → A strict immigration policy focusing on detaining or deporting anyone with any past legal offense, regardless of severity.
This Article in a Nutshell
Sergey Kostenyuk’s routine sale ended with unexpected ICE detention, despite 30 years as a green card holder in the U.S. Current policies mean old or minor convictions can trigger arrest and removal. Families now face uncertainty, as enforcement focuses less on offense seriousness, impacting legal residents nationwide. Stay informed.
— By VisaVerge.com
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