Two Iranian Students Released After Ice Arrested Them In A 'ruse,' Their Lawyers Said

Two joined Iranian students astatine Louisiana State University were released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody this week aft they were arrested successful June successful what their attorneys picture arsenic a “ruse” orchestrated by authorities agents.

Attorneys for Pouria Pourhosseinhendabad and Parisa Firouzabadi had challenged their detentions and accused nan authorities of violating nan rule and migration procedures. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Louisiana section announced their merchandise Wednesday.

The 2 postgraduate students, who were detained for astir a month, were “lured” retired of their location by ICE agents who told them that they were investigating a hit-and-run that nan mates had antecedently reported, tribunal documents said. They were past arrested.

ICE did not supply aliases coming a warrant for their arrest, their attorneys said successful tribunal documents. Several days later, ICE alleged that Firouzabadi was deportable owed to a 2023 visa revocation, nan documents said. Pourhosseinhendabad is connected an progressive F-1 student visa and is presently still enrolled astatine nan school, according to nan ACLU.

Nora Ahmed, nan ineligible head for nan ACLU of Louisiana, a group that is helping to correspond nan couple, said successful a connection that their merchandise represented a “powerful affirmation of immigrants’ rights.”

“Pouria and Parisa should ne'er person been detained and we’re relieved they’re yet free,” Ahmed said successful a statement.

ICE did not instantly respond to NBC News’ petition for comment.

A national magistrate judge recommended nan merchandise of Pourhosseinhendabad connected Monday, penning that nan student “has established that location is simply a sedate consequence he will suffer irreparable harm.” After attorneys revenge a petition for nan merchandise of Firouzabadi nan pursuing day, nan authorities agreed to merchandise nan couple.

“Pouria and Parisa should ne'er person been detained and we’re relieved they’re yet free,” Ahmed said successful nan statement. “However, this lawsuit besides underscores that erstwhile nan government’s powerfulness is allowed to spell unchecked, full communities are near susceptible to sweeping abuses of power.”

On June 22, constabulary officers knocked connected nan couple’s flat door, claiming to analyse a hit-and-run mishap that nan mates had reported weeks earlier, according to Firouzabadi’s habeas petition. The officers asked to spot their conveyance to measure damage, prompting nan mates to lead them to nan parking lot, nan petition said. Federal agents believed to beryllium employed by ICE past handcuffed and arrested nan couple, according to tribunal documents.

“The measurement that authorities constabulary presented themselves to Parisa — arsenic though they were

investigating nan hit-and-run of which Parisa had been a unfortunate weeks anterior — constitutes a ruse because it was an charismatic deception that was utilized to apprehension and detain her,” nan petition said.

Days aft Firouzabadi was arrested, a charging archive was uploaded to nan migration tribunal physics record, nan petition said. In it, ICE alleged that she had grounded to support her ineligible position because of a visa revocation successful 2023 owed to violating laws related to sabotage aliases espionage, tribunal documents said. Ten days aft that filing, ICE rescinded nan accusation tied to sabotage and espionage but continued to allege that she was deportable, nan petition said. It is unclear what prompted nan accusation and why it was rescinded. Attorneys did not instantly respond to questions astir Firouzabadi’s visa revocation, but tribunal documents opportunity that nary reasons were ever provided to her.

However, her attorneys based on that Firouzabadi still has ineligible position because she is actively enrolled, attending classes and moving astatine Louisiana State University, and that nan revocation only prevents her from leaving and attempting to return to nan country.

Pourhosseinhendabad, who was held astatine a abstracted facility, is successful afloat compliance pinch his visa requirements, his attorneys said.

“Arresting and detaining him without immoderate justification nether nan rule violates owed process, adjacent protection, nan Fourth Amendment, and established migration procedures,” an ACLU property merchandise connected nan incident said.

The couple’s attorneys constituent retired successful tribunal documents that their apprehension coincides pinch nan U.S. entranceway into nan conflict betwixt Israel and Iran. The 2 were arrested conscionable hours aft nan subject attacked 3 Iranian atomic enrichment sites. The conflict ended successful a ceasefire days later. Given nan timing, their counsel based on nan unlawful arrests were nan consequence of discrimination.

“This is nan aforesaid benignant of favoritism that occurred pinch nan internment of Japanese Americans successful nan 1940s, which we committed ne'er to repeat,” Ahmed said successful nan release. “And yet, we were correct present connected June 22, nan time aft nan United States bombed Iran — indiscriminately rounding up Iranians connected U.S. soil.”