Faith Under Siege: Iranian Asylum Seekers in the U.S.

Pastor Ara Torosian was alarmed when he received a call about U.S. federal immigration officers arresting Iranian asylum seekers from his Farsi-speaking congregation in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, officers detained two members of his church, echoing a similar incident earlier this week involving an Iranian couple with a child.

Both families had recently sought asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border through the CBP One appointment system, designed to facilitate orderly immigration but revoked by the Trump administration. Torosian witnessed a tense confrontation, filming as officers restrained a woman suffering a panic attack, questioning the aggressive enforcement of immigration laws.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrests for national security reasons after U.S. military strikes on Iranian sites. The Supreme Court's recent decision allows deportations to non-native countries, adding unease to asylum seekers. Torosian, a naturalized U.S. citizen, expressed deep concern for his congregation's safety, urging them to avoid gatherings for fear of further arrests.

(With inputs from agencies.)