A California technology executive who voted for Donald Trump three times says he never imagined the president's immigration crackdown would affect his own family after his Russian wife was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) just days before her 40th birthday celebration.
Brent Jindra, Director of OEM Sales at Lenovo, had openly supported Trump's immigration policies for years. In social media posts, he praised the president's stance on issues including border security, tax cuts and trade. But when ICE agents handcuffed his wife, Galina Bobreneva, at a California airport despite her pending green card application, he said his faith in the policy was shaken.
The case, first reported by The New York Times, highlights what immigration lawyers say is an increasingly aggressive approach towards people with pending immigration applications, even when they have no criminal record.
Birthday Celebration Ended in Handcuffs
Bobreneva, who is originally from Russia, was travelling with her husband from San Francisco to Burbank, California, in July when plainclothes federal agents approached her shortly after they landed.
According to the couple, an agent informed Bobreneva she had been selected for 'secondary screening'. After around 15 minutes of questioning, she was handcuffed and escorted to an unmarked vehicle.
The couple had planned to celebrate Bobreneva's 40th birthday with a getaway to California's Sonoma County, including a stay at a boutique hotel, vineyard tours and a private driver. Instead, she spent 16 days in immigration detention.
'I was absolutely sure this was a mistake,' Bobreneva said.
'This Was Never the Mandate,' Says Trump Supporter
Jindra said he voted for Trump in all three of the president's successful campaigns because he believed in stronger border security and tougher action against illegal immigration.
His support extended beyond the ballot box. In a 2024 Facebook post, he argued that Trump and former President John F. Kennedy shared similar priorities, including 'secured borders', 'peace through strength', 'fair trade' and 'find common ground with Russia'.
But he said he never expected immigration enforcement to target someone who had entered the United States legally and was waiting for her immigration case to be processed.
'The allure of the MAGA campaign was around illegal entries of criminals,' he said. 'There was never a mandate for this president to turn the barrel of the gun and start going after people who legally entered.'
He added: 'She did not jump a wall. She did not swim a river. She came in Trump's beautiful, big front door.'
Pending Green Card at the Centre of the Dispute
Bobreneva arrived in the United States on a tourist visa in late 2021. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, she received two visa extensions before applying for asylum in 2022.
She met Jindra in 2025, and the couple married later that year. In April 2026, he filed a marriage-based green card petition on her behalf, which was accepted for processing. She had also completed fingerprinting as part of the application.
Her immigration lawyer, Patrick Valdez, argues she was never out of lawful status because her green card application remained pending.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), however, disputes that interpretation, saying Bobreneva overstayed her visa and that a pending immigration application or work authorisation 'do NOT confer legal status in the United States'.
Weeks in Detention
Bobreneva said she spent her first night sleeping on the floor of a holding cell before being transferred to the Adelanto ICE Processing Centre in California's Mojave Desert.
She described sleeping under bright lights, limited access to showers and drinking water, and witnessing detainees struggle to obtain medical care. She said she felt she had become 'a number' rather than a person.
The GEO Group, which operates the detention centre, declined to comment on her allegations and referred questions to ICE.
A DHS spokesperson rejected claims of poor conditions, saying detainees receive appropriate food, water, medical treatment and opportunities to communicate with relatives and lawyers.
After a bond hearing, Bobreneva was released on 29 July after posting a $35,000 (£26,000) bond. She must now wear an electronic ankle monitor and report regularly to ICE while her immigration case proceeds. Her first court appearance is scheduled for October.
