Wrong turn: Azerbaijani UB neuroscientist to be deported from US

A University at Buffalo (UB) neuroscientist is being held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centre in Batavia after making a wrong turn into Canada.

The case highlights the growing use of detention for immigration violations, even among individuals with legal status, Investigative Post writes.

Shovgi Huseynov, an Azerbaijan native, has no criminal record and holds a work visa valid through 2029. However, on January 7, Huseynov accidentally drove onto the Peace Bridge and was detained by border agents upon returning to Buffalo.

A spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said agents “determined he may be subject to removal from the U.S.” and handed him over to ICE, without specifying the reason for his arrest.

Huseynov has been employed at UB’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences since 2022 on a work authorisation approved by the Department of Homeland Security. An ICE spokesperson said Huseynov entered the country on a J1 visa commonly extended to university students and researchers, and that he had an application for another visa or legal status pending. The agency alleged Huseynov did not have legal status and is seeking to deport him.

UB confirmed it is aware of the situation. John Della Contrada, a UB spokesperson, said: “As more information becomes available, UB will provide appropriate support to his family and to his personal attorney.”

A respected researcher

Huseynov has spent the past four years conducting neuroscience research, focusing on the interaction between the brain and immune system in opioid-addicted mice. He has co-authored several research papers.

On social media, he has shared family milestones and professional achievements. In March, he wrote: “We have been living in the United States of America for 5 years now, but as true Azerbaijanis, we keep our national and moral values, traditions alive, and we teach our children. We are proud to be Azerbaijani and represent it here.”

In December 2024, he wrote about his dedication to research: “I came to America with 1 purpose, 1 deed, and from the first day of my arrival, no reason has been able to divert me from my path and lead me in other directions. I spend at least 12-14 hours in a day doing science. Real science is such a thing that you always have to think, do research, get acquainted with the latest innovations and publications in your field of research.”

Colleagues have praised his professionalism. Michael Morales, a UB research professor, said: “He’s a good scientist, a good citizen. I consider him very hardworking. He was fun to work with.” Morales added: “He’s certainly not a troublemaker or anything like that. He’s found the same pathway that lots of international scientists have.”

Wrong turns, detention and broader trends

Huseynov’s case is not unique. In the past year, at least five other people have been detained by U.S. immigration authorities after inadvertently entering Canada via bridges near Buffalo. While some were criminally charged due to prior deportations, others, like Huseynov, were not.

Jennifer Connor, executive director of Justice for Migrant Families, said: “Under past administrations, [such mistakes] would often just delay a traveller. Sometimes they would result in a brief detention and an order to appear before an immigration judge. After January 2025, [detention] became the rule. It seemed like everyone got detained.”

Cases include Giovanni Bernal Guerrero, who was deported a second time after a wrong turn in July, and Oscar Hernandez Sanchez, a truck driver detained in June after attempting to back down a ramp to avoid a Canadian crossing.

Detentions are also common in other border cities. NPR reported that more than 200 people were held at Detroit’s Ambassador Bridge between January and April 2025, most due to accidental crossings into Canada. Families attempting to emigrate to Canada have also been held for weeks at border crossings.

Connor noted the lack of transparency surrounding bridge detentions: “The issue that still exists with the detentions at the bridges is the complete lack of transparency. When a person is held at an ICE detention centre, their names can be found in an online database. Not so for those detained in a cell at a bridge. That makes getting someone out all the more difficult.”

She advised caution for drivers: “I give people advice about this constantly, because I’m trying to do damage control on it. It’s like this very easy mistake with devastating consequences.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev