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“Are We At Risk?” Wave of ICE Arrests Strikes Fear in Iranian Communities
The brief war between Israel, Iran, and the United States appears to be over for now. But for many Iranian immigrants to the United States, a new period of uncertainty is just beginning.
A wave of detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has sparked fear in Iranian communities across the country, amid heightened international tensions spurred by President Trump’s decision to join Israel’s bombardment of Iran.
Among those recently detained are avowed foes of the current Iranian government, including Christian asylum-seekers, former protesters who fled repression, and aging immigrants who have called the U.S. their home for over 40 years, according to news reports, immigration advocates, and attorneys who spoke with The Intercept.
“What ICE has done is essentially look at the geopolitical situation and say, ‘Okay, we need to go after Iranians’”
More than 130 Iranian nationals have been arrested or detained in the three weeks since Israel launched its 12-day war with Iran on June 13. The Trump Administration has justified this sudden surge by invoking fears of “sleeper cells” plotting attacks on behalf of the Islamic Republic, according to reporting by Fox News.
“We’re seeing Iranians with varying immigration statuses, including green cards, being detained across the country,” said Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition. “They’re targeting folks who have followed the process, who have done what the government told them to do in navigating the immigration system.”
In the three-year period between October 2021 and November 2024, ICE arrested just 165 Iranian nationals, according to the most recent available statistics.
According to Fox News, the total number of Iranians in ICE custody stood at 670 late last month, including the 130 new detainees. Multiple advocates and attorneys who spoke with The Intercept said they expect that number has only increased in the past week. ICE did not respond to a request for comment, nor to a question about the number of Iranians currently in government........
© The Intercept
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