Iranian Asylum Seekers Arrested by U.S. Immigration Officers in Los Angeles Amid Rising Tensions

LOS ANGELES|| June 27: U.S. federal immigration officers have arrested multiple Iranian asylum seekers in Los Angeles this week, sparking concern and outrage within the local Iranian Christian community.

Pastor Ara Torosian, who leads a Farsi-speaking congregation in the city, said he received two distressing calls within days from members of his church. In both cases, Iranian asylum seekers were detained by immigration officers—one couple was taken during a routine immigration appointment on Monday, and another at their residence on Tuesday.

The affected families had recently arrived in the United States via the U.S.-Mexico border after securing entry appointments through the CBP One system, a mobile application launched under President Joe Biden to streamline legal border crossings.

Torosian described a dramatic scene during Tuesday’s arrest. When he arrived at the home, he said he was met by a heavy federal law enforcement presence and began recording the incident on his phone. In the footage, officers can be seen restraining a woman, who reportedly began convulsing on the ground during a panic attack.

“She’s sick! Call 911!” The video captures Torosian shouting. “Why are you doing this?”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) flagged the two Iranian nationals arrested on Tuesday for national security reasons. The woman was briefly hospitalized but later released. Both are now in immigration custody, the agency confirmed in a statement posted on X.

The arrests follow a wave of increased enforcement activity, including the detention of 11 Iranian nationals over the weekend. The surge in arrests came shortly after U.S. military bombers carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday morning, raising speculation over a potential link between foreign policy developments and domestic enforcement actions.

Iran does not currently accept deportees from the United States. However, a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling has cleared the path for the Trump administration to deport certain migrants to third countries, bypassing requirements to assess the risks they might face.

Torosian, a naturalized U.S. citizen, expressed deep concern for the safety and mental well-being of his congregation, many of whom fled religious persecution in Iran.

“In a million years, I never imagined I’d have to tell my church members not to come to church in America,” he said. “They’re terrified. Some are locking themselves in their homes.”

He described the incident he witnessed as emotionally traumatic.

“When I saw masked officers pinning a woman to the ground, I didn’t know if I was in Los Angeles or Tehran. The scene deeply affected him.

The pastor’s congregation currently consists of around 50 to 60 members, most of whom have been in the U.S. for less than two years. Community leaders and rights advocates have raised alarm over the implications of the recent arrests for asylum seekers fleeing oppressive regimes.