Makhmudov was flown out on a commercial flight via Morocco, where he is awaiting transport to Russia, his representative told Agentstvo. The representative said Makhmudov lost consciousness during the flight and that he had refused food and water for four days. There is no independent confirmation of these circumstances.
Makhmudov was one of the organizers of a mass hunger strike involving at least 73 detainees at the Folkston center in Georgia. The action, which began on October 4, included people from Africa, China, Iran, Afghanistan, Nepal and other countries. Most were asylum seekers. Up to 40 participants ended up in solitary confinement.
In June, Makhmudov prepared a collective appeal to US authorities signed by 45 detainees, including eight Russians. They complained of prolonged detention without criminal charges, inadequate medical care, spoiled food and the inability to secure release before their immigration cases concluded. Four detainees, including Makhmudov, recorded a video address from the jail. In it, Makhmudov said detainees receive just $1 a day for work inside the center.
According to US court documents reviewed by The Insider, on September 28 the federal court for the Southern District of Georgia denied Makhmudov's motion to review the legality of his detention. A magistrate judge initially recommended granting a bail hearing, but federal judge Lisa Godbey Wood upheld the detention center administration's objections.
Makhmudov is a Russian citizen born in Kazakhstan and, according to acquaintances, is of Chechen origin. He was detained on July 13, 2024, at the Nogales crossing in Arizona, where he requested permission to enter the United States. By the time of his deportation he had spent nearly 27 months in custody, although the average length of detention at Folkston, according to ICE data, was 34.6 days.
The Folkston center is run by the private company GEO Group under a contract with ICE. The detainees' appeal cited alleged remarks by the facility's head: in early 2026 he reportedly told a group of detainees that none of them would be released in America and all would be deported.
Dmitry Valuev, president of the Russian America for Democracy in Russia project, estimates that about 300–400 Russians may have been deported to Russia over the past year. At least four of them were arrested at home upon arrival.