US EditionIranian Grandmother Released After Being Detained by ICE While Gardening Outside Louisiana Home
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, JUL 8 – Mandonna Kashanian was detained amid heightened tensions after U.S. airstrikes in Iran and released after nearly two weeks in immigration custody, highlighting local concerns about immigration enforcement.
- Mandonna Kashanian, a 64-year-old Iranian woman and longtime New Orleans resident, was detained by ICE on June 22 while gardening outside her home.
- She had lived in the US legally since 1978 on a student visa, which expired decades ago, and had faced multiple deportation orders since 1983 but remained due to good moral character.
- Kashanian's detention sparked local political and community support, including a letter campaign and advocacy from House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and State Rep. Stephanie Hilferty.
- Over 200 letters praised her community service and character, with Scalise questioning if her case was reviewed objectively and calling for a fair shake from immigration officials.
- Kashanian was released Monday night from ICE detention in Basile, and efforts are underway to assist her in obtaining asylum or legal residency, considering her long-standing adherence to immigration requirements.
42 Articles
42 Articles
Denver Post
Six Colorado facilities pitched for possible ICE detention expansion by private companies, records show
Several companies have floated at least six Colorado facilities as potential sites to expand detention for undocumented immigrants in the state as the federal government ramps up its mass-deportation efforts. Documents submitted to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have pitched options that include two proposed sites in Colorado Springs, according to records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union. The submittals were in response t…
Steve Scalise wants Iranian immigrant to get “a fair shake”
Iranian wife, mother, and community volunteer Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian, 64, was taken into ICE custody last month while gardening in the yard of her New Orleans home. Kashanian has lived in the U.S. for the last 47 years, and her husband and daughter...
Iranian mom snatched by ICE while gardening freed after Republican intervenes
An Iranian mother who was seized by ICE while gardening at her New Orleans home has been freed after a prominent Republican intervened with the Department of Homeland Security.House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told media outlet WDSU that he asked DHS to give 64-year-old Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian "a fair shake" by considering "her life's work." That includes being a “'devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated voluntee…
Iranian students denied U.S. visas after long wait
For more than a year, Iranian graduate students and their spouses held on to a single hope: that after months of visa delays and administrative silence, they would finally be allowed to begin their studies, or reunite with their partners, in the U.S. Instead, hundreds of students were abruptly denied visas this spring under Section 212(f), a presidential authority typically invoked for national security. No specific charges were levied, and no i…
Iranian grandmother released after being detained by ICE while gardening outside Louisiana home
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A woman who had lived in the U.S. for nearly 50 years and had no criminal record was detained outside of her home in Lakeview, Louisiana, by ICE agents last month, much to the shock of her family and friends. After nearly three weeks in custody, her family confirmed she has been released, and a Republican lawmaker may be to thank. In June, Mandonna Kashanian's daughter Kaitlyn Milne told Nexstar's WGNO that her mother had be…
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