Mandana Kashanian, a 64-year-old Iranian woman who came to the United States at 17 years old just ahead of the 1979 Iranian Revolution, was arrested by U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Sunday and is being in detention in Louisiana.
Newsweek has confirmed her detention in the ICE detainee database. Newsweek has reached out to ICE for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Kashanian’s detention comes amid an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration and inflamed U.S. relations with Iran. The U.S. struck three of Iran’s nuclear sites, Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz, lastSaturday. Iran later struck a U.S. base in Qatar.
Also last weekend, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) arrested 11 Iranian citizens who were in the U.S. illegally. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iran and the U.S. have severed main diplomatic ties and maintained a tense relationship, with occasional high-profile nuclear talks.
Ahead of and during the Iranian Revolution, hundreds of thousands of Iranians fled to the United States. Many had supported Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi or belonged to ethnic and religious minorities and faced persecution under the new government. At the time, U.S. President Jimmy Carter maintained close ties with the Shah who was backed by Washington.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has pledged to launch the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history. In addition to people residing in the country illegally, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained and face legal jeopardy.
What To Know
Kashanian came to the U.S. on a student visa on July 24, 1978 and “gained authorization to remain in the U.S. until May 31, 1983 by changing her status to that of a spouse of a nonimmigrant student” according to documents from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reviewed by Newsweek.
She eventually applied for asylum, but her claim was denied, according to the 2001 court documents. Her family told MSNBC that she applied for asylum and was denied multiple times. Kashanian has appealed several court decisions relating to her status as well as filing a motion to reopen appeals.
She married early on and then divorced. She then married Russ Milne, a U.S. citizen, in 1990 and the couple share a 32-year-old daughter together, who is also a U.S. citizen. Part of the complication of Kashanian’s status is due to her first marriage, which the court reported as “improper” and fraudulent, and subsequently interfered with her green card application once married to Milne.
Her father had worked as an engineer for the Shah in Tehran, according to Nola.com, and she claimed she would “experience extreme hardship if deported,” per court documents.
The local outlet said she was granted a stay of removal on the basis that she comply with immigration requirements, which her family says she has always met. Her husband told MSNBC on Friday that she has no criminal history.
She has lived in the states for almost 50 years, setting down roots in New Orleans. She shares Persian recipes on a YouTube channel, was involved in her daughter’s parent-teacher association, volunteered after Hurricane Katrina, and helps out family and neighbors, her husband told MSNBC.
On June 22, she was arrested by officers in unmarked vehicles, her neighbor Sarah Gerig, told Nola.com, noting that the arrest was less than a minute.
Kashanian is currently held in South Louisiana ICE processing center, according to the ICE database. The GEO Group runs the 1,000-person capacity facility located in Basile, Louisiana.
What People Are Saying
Russ Milne, Kashanian’s husband, told Nola.com: “She’s always worked, she’s had a driver’s license, she has a social security card, she’s paid taxes/ She’s about to qualify for Medicare. She’s been a contribution to the community for her whole life.”
Joe Giarrusso, a member of the New Orleans City Council, said in an X, formerly Twitter, post sharing the article about Kashanian on June 25: “I usually don’t comment on federal issues but this is a local issue, too. Someone living here with the federal government’s full knowledge and approval for nearly 50 years is hardly Public Enemy Number 1. This should not happen.”
Kaitlynn Milne, Kashanian’s daughter, told MSNBC on Friday: “She’s tried going through the correct system and … it’s been hard for her…She’s always caring. She’s our support system, so it’s obviously been really rough this week. She’s the person that was always at my school. Always taking care of things around my school. She was, you know, always a huge volunteer, always helping everybody around.”
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security said in a June 24 press release about the arrest of 11 Iranian nationals: “Under Secretary [Kristi] Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise.
“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out—and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
What Happens Next
It is not clear when Kashanian will have an immigration hearing.
The post Iranian Woman Who Has Lived in US for Four Decades Detained by ICE appeared first on Newsweek.
