Concerns Grow Over Immigration Enforcement Amidst Rising Tensions
In a troubling development, Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian, a 64-year-old woman who has lived in the U.S. for nearly five decades, was recently taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers while gardening at her home in New Orleans. Kashanian, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1978 on a student visa, had been living here with her U.S. citizen husband and their daughter, complying with immigration regulations for years.
She originally sought asylum, fearing repercussions due to her father’s support for the U.S.-backed shah of Iran. Although her initial asylum request was denied, she was permitted to stay in the country as long as she checked in regularly with immigration authorities. Her family reports that she continued to fulfill her obligations, even during critical times such as Hurricane Katrina.
Currently, Kashanian is being held at an immigration detention center in Louisiana, while her family struggles to obtain updates about her status. Echoing a broader trend, many other Iranian nationals in the U.S. are facing similar fates, sparking fears that heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran may lead to increased arrests.
Ryan Costello from the National Iranian American Council expressed concern that ICE appears to be conducting widespread arrests of Iranians, regardless of any confirmed threats. This approach raises alarms not just about individual cases but about the broader implications for Iranian-Americans as a community.
Despite repeated attempts for clarification, the Department of Homeland Security has remained tight-lipped regarding the specifics of Kashanian’s case. However, they did recently announce the arrest of at least 11 Iranians for immigration violations during military operations targeting Iran. U.S. Customs and Border Protection indicated that seven of these arrests occurred at a location in Los Angeles, purportedly associated with harboring illegal entrants with possible links to terrorism.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security asserted that the focus is on identifying and apprehending individuals with connections to terrorism or violent extremism. Yet, critics argue that without concrete evidence, these actions risk undermining the rights of law-abiding residents.
Kashanian’s husband, Russell Milne, emphasized that his wife is not a criminal. He recalled how they met in the late 1980s while she was working as a bartender, and how she contributed positively to their community through volunteer work. The fear of deportation has lingered over their family, but he stressed that she has adhered to all immigration protocols.
Under the Trump administration, there has been a notable increase in immigration enforcement, including the deportation of individuals to countries other than their own, aiming to sidestep diplomatic obstacles. Recent reports indicated that thousands of Iranians had attempted to cross the southern border, but many lived without the immediate fear of deportation due to the lack of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Iran. This status appears to be shifting now.
The situation remains tense, as fears mount that ongoing arrests may lead to further complications for Iranian nationals in the United States. With rising concerns surrounding deportation, particularly for those like Kashanian, there is a collective anxiety about what the future holds for families caught in the crossfire of international politics.
Kashanian’s daughter voiced her distress, noting that her mother has always tried to do everything right. As the debate continues, it’s clear that the implications of these policies extend far beyond borders, affecting the lives of many American families.
