Russian dissidents urge Canada to grant asylum as Trump administration moves to deport them

OTTAWA, Canada (MNTV) – Russian dissidents, including the widow of Alexey Navalny, have written to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to accept hundreds of their compatriots at risk of deportation from the United States.

The opposition-minded Russians fled to the US seeking asylum after protesting the Putin regime, but are now detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Although they entered the country legally, most have had their claims denied as President Donald Trump continues his policy of deporting immigrants.

The detainees were caught in the transition from former President Joe Biden to Trump.

“Unfortunately, following the change of administration in the White House, the situation for our compatriots has significantly worsened,” the dissidents wrote in a letter shared with the Globe and Mail newspaper.

It was signed by Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin, and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of prominent Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny.

“Today, many Russian citizens who have applied for asylum in the United States are being held in immigration detention centers, despite having committed no violations of the law,” the letter said. “Worse still, US courts are increasingly issuing denials of asylum claims and granting the executive branch the authority to deport our compatriots back to Russia – where, as a rule, this means immediate arrest by Putin’s security services.”

All three signatories are known opposition figures to Putin’s government.

“We ask that Canada adopt a decision to grant asylum to those Russian citizens whose opposition and anti-war activities are beyond doubt, and who are subject to deportation orders by the US authorities,” the letter added.