‘She was gardening—then vanished': 47 years in US, ICE arrests 64-year-old Iranian woman in New Orleans

Indian Express

3 hours ago

A 64-year-old Iranian woman, who has lived in the US since 1978, was detained by immigration agents outside her New Orleans home on Sunday—just hours after US airstrikes in Iran.
Madonna 'Donna' Kashanian was gardening when plainclothes officers in unmarked vehicles handcuffed her and took her to a Mississippi jail before transferring her to the South Louisiana ICE processing center in Basile, Nola reported.
Kashanian, who arrived in the US on a student visa and later sought asylum due to her father's ties to the Shah of Iran, was denied asylum but granted a stay of removal. Her family insists she complied with all immigration requirements and has no criminal record.
The arrest came amid a nationwide ICE sweep that reportedly netted 11 Iranians over the weekend. Federal officials did not explain the timing, though Kashanian's case has sparked outrage among neighbours and immigrant rights advocates. Her husband and daughter are now scrambling to find legal help.
ICE also detained two Iranian LSU students in Baton Rouge this week, part of a broader uptick in enforcement. Government data shows an 807% rise in arrests of people with no criminal records since Donald Trump's second term began in January. ICE currently detains around 59,000 people nationwide.
Earlier this week, in a shocking incident caught on video, a 32-year-old US citizen was arrested during an immigration raid in downtown Los Angeles, sparking outrage and raising concerns about racial profiling and ICE overreach.
Andrea Velez, a college graduate and lifelong US citizen, was reportedly taken into custody without explanation or proper identification checks. Her family, who witnessed the event, said the arrest resembled a 'kidnapping.'
'My mom looked at the rear mirror and saw how my sister was attacked from the back,' Estrella Rosas told ABC7. 'She was like: 'They're kidnapping your sister.''
Footage shows federal agents surrounding Velez as stunned onlookers gather. Her mother, Margarita Flores, who holds US residency, screamed for help from a nearby car.
Eyewitness videos appear to show agents lifting Velez off the ground and carrying her away. Her family said ICE agents did not ask for ID or explain the reason for the arrest.
'She's a US citizen,' Rosas can be heard screaming in the video. 'They're taking her. Help her, someone.'
Velez's mother told CBS Los Angeles: 'The only thing wrong with her … was the color of her skin.'
Attorneys for the family said it took them over a day to locate Velez, with no information provided by authorities. 'It took us four hours to find her, and we're attorneys. That's crazy,' Dominique Boubion said.
The Department of Homeland Security has alleged Velez was arrested for assaulting an ICE officer, but lawyers say no charges have been communicated.
This is not the first time such incidents have occurred. A government report found that between 2015 and 2020, ICE erroneously deported at least 70 US citizens, arrested 674, and detained 121.