Charlotte man who says he “did things right” still detained by ICE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A plea for help from a Charlotte resident who’s now inside an ICE detention center. Tural Atakishiyev came to Charlotte from Azerbaijan in January 2025. He says he did everything by the books, including applying for asylum and checking-in regularly with ICE.

Despite that, he says during a routine appointment in Charlotte last month, he was detained and transferred to Stewart Detention Center in Georgia. Now, after more than a month in custody, one of his friends tells WCCB that Tural’s health is declining and his resources are running out. Samir Gadirov says, “This is a horrible situation with this administration, because if you do things right, they are arresting you.

Tural was told he likely wouldn’t win his asylum case, so he chose voluntary deportation. A judge approved it, but ICE has not given him a deportation date. A GoFundMe has been started to help with mounting expenses like legal fees, and preparing to return to Azerbaijan with no resources.