A 64-year-old Iranian woman, Madonna "Donna" Kashanian, who has been a resident of the United States for an impressive 47 years, was unexpectedly detained by immigration agents on Sunday morning while tending to her garden outside her home in New Orleans. The incident has sparked widespread concern and highlighted ongoing issues surrounding immigration enforcement in the U.S.

Witnesses to the event reported that plainclothes officers arrived in unmarked vehicles, swiftly handcuffing Kashanian before transporting her to a jail in Mississippi. Subsequently, she was transferred to the South Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing center located in Basile, as confirmed by local news outlet Nola.

Kashanian's journey to the U.S. began in 1978 when she entered the country on a student visa. She later sought asylum, voicing fears of persecution rooted in her father's associations with the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran. Despite her initial plea for asylum being denied, she was granted a stay of removal, provided she adhered to immigration requirements—a condition her family asserts she has continuously fulfilled. Throughout her time in the U.S., Kashanian has maintained a clean criminal record, which intensifies the questions surrounding her sudden detention.

The timing of her arrest is particularly notable, occurring just hours after U.S. airstrikes in Iran, an event that has drawn international attention and could suggest heightened scrutiny on Iranian nationals living in the U.S. Although federal officials declined to comment on Kashanian’s specific situation, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did issue a statement indicating that 11 Iranians were arrested nationwide over the weekend, raising concerns about the implications for Iranian immigrants.

Having moved to New Orleans as a teenager, Kashanian has spent decades building a life, contributing to her community, and sharing her culture. She has been particularly active in local schools and often shares her cherished Persian recipes on platforms like YouTube. However, her family has expressed deep apprehension about the potential for her deportation, especially heightened during the Trump administration's policies that they believe have made immigrants like her more vulnerable. Kashanian even attempted to adjust her immigration status through marriage to a U.S. citizen, but this route was blocked due to a prior marriage that the government labeled fraudulent.

Neighbors described the arrest as alarmingly swift, lasting less than a minute. Following her detention, Kashanian managed to call her family briefly during the processing phase but was unreachable again until Tuesday. In the wake of her arrest, her husband and daughter have been frantically searching for legal assistance, navigating the challenging landscape of Louisiana's immigration system, which has seen an overwhelming number of detainees and a scarcity of immigration attorneys.

The incident involving Kashanian is just one in a series of recent ICE operations targeting Iranian nationals. Earlier this week, two Iranian students from Louisiana State University (LSU) were also arrested at their off-campus apartment. This follows a significant ICE operation last week that resulted in the arrest of 84 individuals at a racetrack in southwestern Louisiana, with official reports indicating that at least two of those detained had criminal records.

Statistics from early June reported by the Guardian indicate a staggering 807% increase in arrests of individuals without criminal histories since Donald Trump’s second inauguration in January. Current data reveals that ICE is holding approximately 59,000 detainees in facilities across the nation, further emphasizing the urgency of immigration reform and the need for compassionate immigration policies.