Full Breakdown
ICE Detention and Denial of Psychiatric Medication for Ukrainian Man Andriy Shepitsen
4/29/2026, 2:49:47 AM
Core Event: Detention, Medication Denial, and Health Decline
Andriy Shepitsen, 46, was taken into ICE custody in December 2025 and held at three South-Florida facilities. For over four months staff denied his prescribed bipolar and depression medication. He reported suicidal thoughts, began a 60-day hunger strike in February 2026, was hospitalized, and lost more than 60 pounds.
Background & Timeline
Shepitsen entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2009, moved to Venice, Florida, in 2021, and saw his depression worsen after the 2022 Ukraine war. He faced two theft arrests, one dismissed and one with adjudication withheld. He received a psychiatric prescription in March 2025, pleaded no contest to grand-theft in July 2025, began an 18-month probation, and was taken into ICE custody during a December 2025 check-in. A humanitarian-parole request filed in January 2025 was denied in April 2025.
Data & Statistics
Medication withheld > 4 months; hunger strike ? 60 days; weight loss > 60 lb; 18-month probation; theft conviction with adjudication withheld.
Official Statements & Responses
U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Shepitsen’s student visa expired in 2011 and that he has remained in the United States illegally. The agency denied allegations of medical neglect, asserting that ICE provides comprehensive medical, dental, and mental-health services and that Shepitsen had refused his medication while in custody. The spokesperson also noted that many detainees consider ICE medical care the best they have ever received.
Criticism & Opposition
Shepitsen’s wife and attorney argue staff at all three facilities “flat out denied” his medication, causing rapid health decline. Attorney Katie Blankenship called the situation “infuriating” and said they will pursue asylum after the denied humanitarian-parole request, noting he is not a flight risk.
Verbatim Quotes
- “He’s in his own world right now because he hasn’t received his medicine for such a long time,” — Svitlana Shepitsena, wife
- “So we’re just going to keep fighting in every way we can.” — Katie Blankenship, attorney
- “ICE NEVER denied this criminal illegal alien proper medical care. Shepitsen has REFUSED his medications during his time in detention,” — U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson
- “It’s not the behavior of my Andriy,” — Svitlana Shepitsena, wife
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
DHS says Shepitsen refused medication; his wife and attorney say staff denied it. Reports of a 60-day hunger strike, > 60-lb loss, and suicidal ideation suggest care gaps.
Why It Matters
The case underscores concerns about medical care standards in ICE detention, especially for detainees with serious mental-health conditions. It also highlights the role of humanitarian parole and asylum processes for individuals whose removal could exacerbate health risks.
What’s Next
Attorneys will file an asylum claim citing severe mental-health needs and the danger of deportation to war-torn Ukraine, seeking release from detention pending adjudication.
