A Russian man who settled in Batavia with his wife while seeking asylum in the United States has been held at an immigration detention center in Georgia since the couple was taken into custody during a Florida vacation in February, his wife says. Andrei Mikhailov is being held at the Folkston ICE Processing Center. As of Monday, Oct. 12, he was on the seventh day of a hunger strike, according to his wife, Kseniia Volkova. She said she is worried about his physical and mental health. “My big worry is about his health and his life,” Volkova said. “My husband did not break any laws. He made everything right.” The couple entered the United States in 2024 and requested asylum. Volkova has said Mikhailov openly criticized the Russian government and that Russia became too dangerous for him after the war in Ukraine began. Volkova was released from custody and allowed to return to Batavia with an ankle monitor. She said her asylum hearing is scheduled for November 2027, while Mikhailov is waiting for a new hearing date. She has spent $40,000 on legal fees, she said, and hopes they can reunite and start a family. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said Mikhailov would remain in ICE custody while his removal proceedings continue and would receive due process. The agency also said that a pending asylum application does not itself grant legal status in the United States. DHS said detainees receive meals, water, blankets, medical care and opportunities to communicate with family and attorneys. The office of U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, whose district includes the area, said it was working to assist the family and hoped the case would receive prompt attention. The office said it was seeking either Mikhailov’s release or a transfer to a detention center closer to his family.