U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has asked the federal court to dismiss Denis Uvarov’s lawsuit.
Denis Uvarov
A 33-year-old Russian national, Uvarov sought the return of his passport and demanded $80,000 in compensation for his suffering and for punitive damages.
Uvarov, in his complaint, named officials from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security as defendants.
Through the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Districts of Guam and the NMI, DHS and USCIS told the court that Uvarov’s passport was released to him on Feb. 8, 2021 and therefore his Fifth Amendment claim for injunctive relief is moot.
Uvarov also boarded a plane on March 19, 2021 outbound to Seoul, South Korea, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
It added that ICE Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer Chris Danaher approached Uvarov and positively identified him.
Uvarov informed Danaher that he planned to travel to Ukraine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office added.
“Thus, plaintiff’s stated goal of departing the United States was accomplished,” it said.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also reiterated that ICE’s retention of Uvarov’s passport was a reasonable exercise of its broad authority over immigration.
In November 2017, Uvarov arrived in the CNMI as a tourist. When he sought political asylum or refugee status, he said ICE confiscated his passport.
After waiting for two years and never having received an asylum interview, he said he had changed his mind.
On July 10, 2020, Uvarov demanded the return of his passport so that he could leave the island.
When ICE and the USCIS Los Angeles Asylum Office failed to return his passport, Uvarov filed a complaint in federal court, but it was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction on Oct. 26, 2020.
On Dec. 2, 2020, Uvarov filed an amended complaint.
He also received an email from USCIS Los Angeles Asylum office, which informed him that “we are unable to schedule non-detained interviews in Saipan at this time…. When we are able to resume interviews you will be contacted and scheduled for an interview.”
