A Belarusian asylum seeker who fled political persecution in her home country is experiencing a decline in her health while in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, raising fears for her life, according to her partner and a dedicated support website.
Katsiaryna Bartko, 33, who has undergone surgery for cancer and requires daily medication to manage hypothyroidism and parathyroid issues, is reportedly not receiving consistent medical care at the CoreCivic-operated ICE facility in Leavenworth, Kansas. Her partner, Dmitry Shyshov, stated that Bartko calls him daily, with her voice growing weaker, and that the facility has repeatedly failed to provide her prescribed medication.
Bartko fled Belarus in March 2022 on an F-1 student visa, citing her opposition to Russia's war on Ukraine and President Putin's regime. She arrived in New York and later studied English at the University of California San Diego. According to a GoFundMe campaign, Bartko is a member of an opposition group deemed "extremist" by the Belarusian government, and authorities have sought her. Her supporters assert that deportation would result in arrest, fabricated charges, torture, and a life-threatening interruption of her medical treatment.
Bartko was arrested in Miami on May 5 for a misdemeanor charge that was later dismissed. ICE took her into custody on June 4, citing her student visa, which had expired while she was applying for asylum in February 2023. Her asylum hearing is scheduled for September 28, 2026.
Shyshov expressed concern that Bartko might not survive until her hearing, potentially falling into a myxedema coma due to untreated hypothyroidism. Court documents indicate that Bartko was hospitalized on June 6 after her treatment was disrupted, resulting in critically low ionized calcium levels. During a transfer in mid-June, she reportedly went approximately 72 hours without her full prescribed medication regimen. A facility physician evaluated her on June 21, confirming her risk of a life-threatening crisis and her need for specialized medical attention.
The following day, Bartko experienced symptoms including carpopedal spasm, voice disturbance, tingling, weakness, and difficulty breathing. Despite being detained for over two months, no outside specialist has examined her. Referrals for oncology and endocrinology evaluations have reportedly gone unaddressed or were returned without being signed.
Sarah Raza, a trauma and vascular interventional radiologist with Physicians for Human Rights, reviewed Bartko's medical information and expressed concern over her poorly regulated hormone levels. Raza noted that Bartko's multiple hospitalizations and abnormal blood work suggest inadequate treatment. She warned that myxedema coma has a significant mortality rate.
A spokesperson for CoreCivic, Ryan Gustin, stated that the individual is being regularly monitored by medical staff and that all known medical issues are being addressed.
Shyshov described Bartko in a letter to the court as a thoughtful and devoted person. He stated on the GoFundMe page that Bartko came to the U.S. seeking protection but is now sick, alone, and being punished for needing life-sustaining medication. He added on Instagram that Bartko is not a case number but the woman he loves, and that she could die in custody from a minor ailment due to her condition. He noted that a judge confirmed she is not a danger to anyone, yet she remains detained.