Ukrainian woman headed to Utah after being detained in Mexico
Apr 4, 2022, 11:09 PM | Updated: Jun 13, 2022, 10:55 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah man has reunited with his Ukrainian wife after she was detained at the US-Mexico border while trying to seek refuge in the states.
Around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Brad Harrison told KSL his wife, Ganna, was released after being held for days.
Brad and the couple’s daughter are U.S. citizens.
Ganna is a citizen of Ukraine, and that’s where they were living when the Russian invasion began.
They decided they needed to get back to the U.S. and heard going through Mexico was a good option. But when they got to the border, agents separated them.
“She came back to the cars, was being escorted by officers like she’d already been arrested,”
That started four days of misery for the family.
Brad says he had documentation for Ganna from Utah Sen. Mike McKell to grant “Humanitarian Parole.” Instead, officers detained her.
Brad had been waiting in a hotel two miles away with no information, saying his wife did not deserve this.
“She’s a brave woman,” he said. “She’s very strong, she’s very fun and funny and she’s a good mom and she’s a great wife.”
Just before 9 p.m., Brad sent KSL a text saying in all caps, “MY WIFE WAS RELEASED!”