Azerbaijani gay man says husband is being held by ICE despite agreeing to leave US

Tural Atakishiyev, an Azerbaijani gay man, is allegedly being held in ICE detention in Georgia despite his husband, Samir Gadirov, agreeing that the pair will leave the United States.

Atakishiyev is believed to have been detained since 14 January 2026 at Stewart Detention Center, and they have since made plans to leave the US together to shorten the detention process.

The couple married in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 2025, choosing to avoid Azerbaijan, where LGBTQ+ laws are unsafe.

“Even the voluntary departure process is taking too long” – Samir Gadirov on ICE keeping his husband Tural Atakishiyev despite agreeing to leave the US

Gadirov and Atakishiyev had applied for asylum, obtained work authorisation, and followed all legal steps, which Gadirov says ICE is ignoring.

Speaking to The Advocate about his husband’s imprisonment, he said, “Yes, that’s still the plan, that we are going back to Azerbaijan.”

“We are waiting for the judge’s decision on his voluntary departure back to Azerbaijan. Even the voluntary departure process is taking too long,” Gadirov continued.

“His mental health is very important to me” – Gadirov fears for his husband’s health amid ICE detainment

Gadirov is concerned for his husband’s health, adding that he has lost around 25 pounds due to poor mental health, which is also affecting Gadirov himself.

“His mental health is very important to me. So, five, six months inside [for the Trump administration to eventually deport him anyway], we don’t want it. That’s why we are trying to make this jail period as short as possible,” he added.

The “five, six months inside” refers to how long Atakishiyev might otherwise remain in ICE detention, as the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement continues to face criticism.

“ICE now is lying” – Gadirov claims ICE officials are holding his husband for too long

“We applied for asylum, we got married, we applied for I-130, and every legal step that needs to be done, we have done that. But ICE now is lying,” Gadirov claimed.

As of 2026, ICE has faced widespread criticism from celebrities, advocates and the public, following the shooting of the late Renée Nicole Good, a lesbian woman, by ICE agents in Minnesota on 7 January.

Attitude has contacted ICE for comment.