Latest news with #MahdiKhanbabazadeh
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Terrifying moment dad pleads with ICE agents to let his child out of the car at daycare before they arrest him
Shocking video captured the moment immigration officers detained an Oregon father as he was dropping his young child off at daycare - and he pleaded for them to let the child out before taking him into custody for deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stopped Mahdi Khanbabazadeh on July 15 while he was driving his child to Guidepost Montessori school in Beaverton, a suburb of Portland. The alarming footage, obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting, shows the 38-year-old chiropractor asking ICE agents to 'wait for three minutes' because 'there is a baby in the car.' After the child was removed from the car, ICE officers can be seen cracking open the driver's side window. In the final clip, taken by a witness, the onlooker can be heard exclaiming: 'This is not OK, and no one here will identify themselves to me,' as masked agents handcuff Khanbabazadeh and take him away. Khanbabazadeh, a citizen of Iran, entered the U.S. on a student visa, which ICE claims he overstayed. Meanwhile, his family says he is married to a citizen and has already applied and interviewed for a green card. The clips, three taken on a dashcam and one by a witness, were provided to Oregon Public Broadcasting by Khanbabazadeh's family and authenticated by the outlet. Khanbabazadeh's arrest marks the first by ICE outside an Oregon school, as until earlier this year, federal policy prohibited immigration officials from making arrests near certain locations, including schools, houses of worship and hospitals. The incident began around 8:17 a.m. as Khanbabazadeh was in the car with his child in the backseat and pulled over by cops, according to the video's timestamp. 'Daddy, police!' the child exclaims from the back as officers tell Khanbabazadeh to roll his window down further. 'Yeah, that's police,' Khanbabazadeh replies while grabbing his identification for the agents and telling them he is headed to his child's day care. The cops let him continue to the school, where they again approached the car. A second clip, recorded at 8:32 a.m. in the daycare's parking lot, shows the father pleading with officers to hold off on their arrest as he waits for someone to pick up his child. Khanbabazadeh tells the youngster that mom is on the way. 'There is a baby in the car,' he says. 'Is it hard to wait for three minutes?' Another dashcam clip captured ICE officers smashing the driver's side window of the car after Khanbabazadeh's child had gotten out. The dad tells agents he is getting out, and one officer replies: 'We told you three times. Unbuckle your seat belt and step out of the car.' The final clip, taken by a witness, shows Khanbabazadeh standing next to a black SUV being handcuffed and led away by ICE officers, some of whom are wearing masks. Khanbabazadeh is currently being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, though his family is pressing for his release from the facility. ICE did not immediately return a request for comment from The Independent. In a press release the day after the arrest, ICE stated it initially attempted to arrest Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop, but decided to allow him to drop his son off at preschool first. 'Officers allowed him to proceed to the daycare parking lot where he stopped cooperating, resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle, resulting in ICE officers making entry by breaking one of the windows to complete the arrest,' a spokesperson for ICE said. The horrifying incident left the local community rattled, especially parents at Guidepost Montessori School who witnessed the arrest. Randy Kornfield was dropping his grandchild off at school at the time of the arrest and saw agents get into a tense exchange with a teacher who had asked them to identify themselves. He described the arrest as 'heartless,' to Oregon Public Broadcasting. Other parents also expressed their concerns after witnessing the upsetting arrest of a fellow parent. 'I feel like a day care, which is where young children are taken care of, should be a safe place,' Natalie Berning said after dropping off her daughter at the Montessori in Beaverton Friday morning. 'Not only is it traumatizing for the family, it's traumatizing for all the other children as well.' Kellie Burns, who has two children attending the preschool, said her husband was there and heard the glass shatter. 'More than anything, we want to express how unnecessarily violent and inhumane this was,' she said. 'Everyone felt helpless. Everyone was scared.' Guidepost Global Education, which oversees the Montessori school, called the incident 'deeply upsetting.' 'We understand that this incident raises broader questions about how law enforcement actions intersect with school environments,' CEO Maris Mendes said in a statement. 'It is not lost on us how frightening and confusing this experience may have been for those involved — especially for the young children who may have witnessed it while arriving at school with their parents.'
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Daddy, police!': new video shows Ice arresting Oregon father at preschool
New video has been released showing masked immigration officers taking an Oregon father into custody while dropping off his child at a Portland-area preschool last week. In four clips obtained and verified by Oregon Public Broadcasting, Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old chiropractor, can be seen asking US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents to 'wait for three minutes' because 'there is a baby in the car'. Minutes later, after the child exited the vehicle, the video shows Ice officers breaking the driver's side window of the car. Three of the video clips were taken by a dashboard camera; in the fourth, taken by a witness, an onlooker can be heard saying, 'This is not OK, and no one here will identify themselves to me,' as masked agents handcuff and escort Khanbabazadeh away. Ice arrested Khanbabazadeh outside Guidepost Montessori school in Beaverton, Oregon, on 15 July. A citizen of Iran, Khanbabazadeh entered the United States on a student visa. Ice said the father had overstayed his visa, but his family told local news that he was married to a US citizen and had already applied and interviewed for a green card. Immigration agents stopped Khanbabazadeh en route to the daycare, but allowed him to proceed to the school to drop off his child. There, Ice said he 'stopped cooperating, resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle'. In a statement, the agency added that officers broke a window, and the child was not harmed. Khanbabazadeh is still being held at a detention center in Tacoma, Washington, according to local news reports. Oregon Public Broadcasting obtained the four video clips from Khanbabazadeh's family. The first video, recorded at 8.17am, shows Khanbabazadeh rolling down his window during a traffic stop. As Khanbabazadeh searches for his identification, his child says, 'Daddy, police!' from a carseat in the back of the car. In response to a question about where they are headed, Khanbabazadeh says, 'Daycare.' In the second video clip, recorded at 8.32am from what appears to be the daycare parking lot, Khanbabazadeh implores officers to wait. 'There is a baby in the car,' he says. 'Is it hard to wait for three minutes?' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion In the third and final dashcam video, recorded at 8.42am, an Ice officer breaks through the driver's side window of the car. Khanbabazadeh can be heard saying, 'I am getting out,' to which a masked Ice agent replies: 'Well, you should have done it already.' In the final video, taken by a bystander, Ice agents handcuff Khanbabazadeh while he is pressed up against his car. Khanbabazadeh can be heard saying, 'I'm Iranian, I don't know why they are doing this. I am a doctor,' while the bystander says, 'No one here will identify themselves.' Randy Kornfield, who was dropping off his four-year-old grandson at the Montessori school during Khanbabazadeh's arrest, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that one of the school's teachers asked the officers to identify themselves. He said the agents got into a heated exchange with the teacher at the request. This was the first confirmed federal immigration arrest at an Oregon school, according to local news. Local and state leaders, including Beaverton's mayor, Lacey Beaty; the Oregon governor, Tina Kotek; and Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, condemned the arrest.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Daddy, police!': new video shows Ice arresting Oregon father at preschool
New video has been released showing masked immigration officers taking an Oregon father into custody while dropping off his child at a Portland-area preschool last week. In four clips obtained and verified by Oregon Public Broadcasting, Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old chiropractor, can be seen asking US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents to 'wait for three minutes' because 'there is a baby in the car'. Minutes later, after the child exited the vehicle, the video shows Ice officers breaking the driver's side window of the car. Three of the video clips were taken by a dashboard camera; in the fourth, taken by a witness, an onlooker can be heard saying, 'This is not OK, and no one here will identify themselves to me,' as masked agents handcuff and escort Khanbabazadeh away. Ice arrested Khanbabazadeh outside Guidepost Montessori school in Beaverton, Oregon, on 15 July. A citizen of Iran, Khanbabazadeh entered the United States on a student visa. Ice said the father had overstayed his visa, but his family told local news that he was married to a US citizen and had already applied and interviewed for a green card. Immigration agents stopped Khanbabazadeh en route to the daycare, but allowed him to proceed to the school to drop off his child. There, Ice said he 'stopped cooperating, resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle'. In a statement, the agency added that officers broke a window, and the child was not harmed. Khanbabazadeh is still being held at a detention center in Tacoma, Washington, according to local news reports. Oregon Public Broadcasting obtained the four video clips from Khanbabazadeh's family. The first video, recorded at 8.17am, shows Khanbabazadeh rolling down his window during a traffic stop. As Khanbabazadeh searches for his identification, his child says, 'Daddy, police!' from a carseat in the back of the car. In response to a question about where they are headed, Khanbabazadeh says, 'Daycare.' In the second video clip, recorded at 8.32am from what appears to be the daycare parking lot, Khanbabazadeh implores officers to wait. 'There is a baby in the car,' he says. 'Is it hard to wait for three minutes?' In the third and final dashcam video, recorded at 8.42am, an Ice officer breaks through the driver's side window of the car. Khanbabazadeh can be heard saying, 'I am getting out,' to which a masked Ice agent replies: 'Well, you should have done it already.' Sign up to This Week in Trumpland A deep dive into the policies, controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration after newsletter promotion In the final video, taken by a bystander, Ice agents handcuff Khanbabazadeh while he is pressed up against his car. Khanbabazadeh can be heard saying, 'I'm Iranian, I don't know why they are doing this. I am a doctor,' while the bystander says, 'No one here will identify themselves.' Randy Kornfield, who was dropping off his four-year-old grandson at the Montessori school during Khanbabazadeh's arrest, told Oregon Public Broadcasting that one of the school's teachers asked the officers to identify themselves. He said the agents got into a heated exchange with the teacher at the request. This was the first confirmed federal immigration arrest at an Oregon school, according to local news. Local and state leaders, including Beaverton's mayor, Lacey Beaty; the Oregon governor, Tina Kotek; and Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, condemned the arrest.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Yahoo
Beaverton father detained by ICE outside of preschool
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A father was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after dropping his child off at a Beaverton preschool Tuesday morning, officials said. According to an ICE spokesperson, 38-year-old Mahdi Khanbabazadeh was arrested outside Guidepost Montessori School in South Beaverton after dropping his child off at school. Caroline Medeiros, a lawyer consulting on the case, said after Khanbabazadeh arrived at the school, seven unmarked cars pulled into the parking lot to make the arrest. Week-long search for missing mountain biker ends after he drove back home in his own car When the incident began, Medeiros said that the school was rushed into a soft lockdown, and the head of the school came outside to see what was happening, where masked and armed ICE agents refused to identify themselves and pushed her out of the way, saying, 'This doesn't concern you.' The ICE agents then bashed in a car window and dragged Khanbabazadeh out while his wife asked where they were taking him, according to Medeiros, whose 4-year-old daughter attends the school. The ICE spokesperson told KOIN 6 News that they had attempted to detain Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop where he requested to drop off his child at daycare. At the daycare, ICE said he stopped cooperating and resisted arrest, so they were forced to break the window. 'It was just chaos,' said witness Randy Kornfield, who was dropping his grandson off at the time of the arrest. 'There were a lot of parents who were upset,' he said. 'And rightly so. It's just not something that needs to happen at a preschool, or at any school for that matter.' ICE said the reason for the arrest was that Khanbabazadeh, a citizen of Iran, had overstayed his visa. Khanbabazadeh arrived in the United States on a student visa, and eventually married a U.S. citizen. He was in the process of getting his green card and had already gone through an interview for it, Medeiros said. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Oregon U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden's office confirmed to KOIN 6 News that Khanbabazadeh's family has already contacted his office, and they are pressing the Trump administration for answers. Khanbabazadeh is currently being held at the ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington, Medeiros said. Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty also released a statement, saying she's concerned and that her office is working to find out more about what happened: 'I've heard concerns from community members about the reported ICE arrest that took place on July 15 outside of Guidepost Montessori. As Beaverton's Mayor—and as a parent—I share those concerns. 'We are a city that values safety, dignity, and belonging for all people, no matter their immigration status. 'My office is actively coordinating with local and federal partners to understand what happened and to ensure that our city continues to uphold the rights and humanity of all Beaverton residents.' A regional manager for Guidepost shared in a statement that they were 'deeply disturbed' by the incident and that they were working to support the child and family, saying in part: 'Our first priority is the safety and emotional well-being of the children in our care. We are actively supporting the affected child and family, and we are providing our staff and families with resources to help them process this event with care and sensitivity. 'We are also reviewing the circumstances surrounding this incident and taking steps to ensure that our campuses remain a safe and secure environment for all members of our school community.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
19-07-2025
- CTV News
Immigration arrest outside Oregon preschool rattles parents
BEAVERTON, Ore. — Parents at a preschool in a Portland suburb are reeling after immigration officers arrested a father in front of the school during morning drop-off hours, breaking his car window to detain him in front of children, families and staffers. 'I feel like a day care, which is where young children are taken care of, should be a safe place,' Natalie Berning said after dropping off her daughter at the Montessori in Beaverton on Friday morning. 'Not only is it traumatizing for the family, it's traumatizing for all the other children as well.' Mahdi Khanbabazadeh, a 38-year-old chiropractor and citizen of Iran, was initially pulled over by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, while driving his child to the school Tuesday. After asking if he could drop off the child first, he continued driving and called his wife to tell her what happened, according to his wife, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to privacy concerns for her and her young child. His wife rushed to the school, took their child from his car and brought him inside. Khanbabazadeh stayed in the vehicle in the parking lot and asked if he could move somewhere not on school grounds out of consideration for the children and families, his wife said. He pulled out of the lot and onto the street and began to open the car door to step out when agents broke the window and took him into custody, according to his wife. Kellie Burns, who has two children attending the preschool, said her husband was there and heard the glass shatter. 'More than anything we want to express how unnecessarily violent and inhumane this was,' she said. 'Everyone felt helpless. Everyone was scared.' ICE said it detained Khanbabazadeh because he overstayed his visa, which his wife disputes. 'Officers attempted to arrest Khanbabazadeh during a traffic stop when he requested permission to drop his child off at daycare,' ICE said in a statement. 'Officers allowed him to proceed to the daycare parking lot where he stopped cooperating, resisted arrest and refused to exit his vehicle, resulting in ICE officers making entry by breaking one of the windows to complete the arrest.' Immigration officials have dramatically ramped up arrests across the country since May. Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, his administration lifted restrictions on making immigration arrests at schools, health care facilities and places of worship, stirring fears about going to places once considered safe spaces. After U.S. military strikes on Iran in June, officials trumpeted immigration arrests of Iranians, some of whom settled in the United States long ago. Khanbabazadeh's wife said he has always maintained lawful status. After he arrived on a valid student visa and they subsequently married, she said, they submitted all required paperwork to adjust his status and were waiting for a final decision following their green card interview months ago. Khanbabazadeh is being held at the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, Washington, she said. Guidepost Global Education, which oversees the Montessori school, called the incident 'deeply upsetting.' 'We understand that this incident raises broader questions about how law enforcement actions intersect with school environments,' CEO Maris Mendes said in a statement. 'It is not lost on us how frightening and confusing this experience may have been for those involved — especially for the young children who may have witnessed it while arriving at school with their parents.' Parents said they want to support the family and teachers. 'We know it's happening across the country, of course, but no one is prepared for their preschool ... to deal with it,' Burns said. 'It's really been a nightmare.' Claire Rush, The Associated Press
