The United States has deported Russian citizen Idris Makhmudov, one of the organizers of a mass hunger strike that took place earlier this month at an immigration detention center in Folkston, Georgia, according to a report by the independent investigative outlet Agentstvo, citing Makhmudov’s representative and a source familiar with the recent events at the facility. Makhmudov, who had sought asylum in the United States, spent nearly 27 months in custody. Shortly before his deportation, he helped organize a protest by at least 73 detainees over their prolonged detention and the poor conditions at the center. U.S. court records reviewed by The Insider show that on Sept. 28 a federal court denied Makhmudov’s petition challenging the legality of his detention.
According to Makhmudov’s representative, he was removed from the United States on a commercial flight through Morocco, where he waited for onward travel to Russia. During the journey, Makhmudov, who his representative said had refused food and water for four days, lost consciousness. The representative also said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Makhmudov that his appeal would continue to be reviewed and that he would be returned to the United States if it succeeded. Those claims have not been independently verified.
Court rejects Makhmudov’s challenge to detention
Makhmudov filed a petition in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia on Dec. 22, 2025, seeking review of the legality of his prolonged detention and seeking the opportunity to be released on bond. According to a Sept. 28, 2026, court ruling, a magistrate judge initially recommended granting Makhmudov an individualized bond hearing. U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood, however, upheld objections from the detention center’s administration and dismissed Makhmudov’s petition in full while still allowing him to appeal.
Makhmudov was initially detained in July 2024 after seeking permission to enter the United States at the Nogales border crossing in Arizona. Makhmudov is a Russian citizen who was born in Kazakhstan. Acquaintances say he is originally from Chechnya.
73 detainees join hunger strike, organizers placed in solitary confinement
A mass hunger strike began at the Folkston facility on Oct. 6. Several dozen people, most of whom had come to the United States seeking asylum, joined the protest. Participants included citizens of Russia, China, Sudan, Afghanistan, and other countries.
In June, Makhmudov prepared a collective appeal to U.S. authorities that was signed by 45 detainees, including eight Russians. They complained of prolonged detention without criminal charges, inadequate medical care, spoiled food, and the lack of any meaningful way to secure release while their immigration cases were pending.
Shortly before the hunger strike began, four detainees, including Makhmudov, recorded a video appeal from inside the facility. The Verge reported that the video was recorded using the center’s internal video communications system. In the video, Makhmudov said detainees were paid just $1 a day for work inside the facility — enough, he said, for about a 10-minute phone call with family members. He also said many asylum seekers had come to the United States fleeing political persecution but ended up behind bars for months or years. The Russian protesters were soon placed in solitary confinement.
The Folkston center is operated by the private U.S. prison company GEO Group under a contract with ICE. According to The Verge, the company earns substantial revenue from immigration detention. GEO Group has also contributed to political organizations that support Donald Trump.
