Over 130 Iranians have been arrested or detained by ICE in the three weeks since Israel launched its 12-day war with Iran on June 13. Among them are 11 individuals caught in a multi-state sweep launched shortly after U.S. strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities on June 21. Iran is among 19 countries listed on the president’s travel ban, announced June 4. Attorney Elham Sadri is the founder of Sadri Law, which focuses on family-based immigration and naturalization cases. A member of the Iranian American Bar Association, she tells American Community Media’s Chris Alam that rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, combined with the Trump Administration’s ongoing immigration crackdown are fueling a sense of fear and anxiety among many within the community. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What have you been hearing from your clients and from the broader Iranian community in recent weeks?
There is a sense of fear now in immigrant communities nationwide. Iranians are not an exception. My concern is that people in the community become too afraid to fight for their rights. They’re scared, even if they are legally here, or they don’t have any violations. They have built their lives here…and now they are worried about international travel or even just going outside. I’ve received inquiries from U.S. citizens saying, “I became a U.S. citizen 20 years ago. I don’t even want to travel. I’m afraid that they will come after me. Or that I will be detained at the airport.” It’s unbelievable how scared people are right now.
What has been the impact of the US and Israel’s recent bombings of Iran?
The thing that happened after the conflict is that there is higher scrutiny and also arrests of Iranian nationals that have been happening over the last couple of weeks. So we are trying to monitor what type of individuals are being arrested. Unfortunately, there are a wide category of people who have been impacted. The last news that came out was that 130 Iranians have been arrested last week across the nation.
What are you advising your clients given this heightened sense of fear?
The most urgent thing immigrants need to know, regardless of nationality, is that with this intense scrutiny across the board they need to take extra precautions. Carrying documents to prove legal status here, or a pending application if they have one is very important. Also, staying informed. For example, new instructions were issued in February, I believe, around changing addresses. All non-citizens, even green card holders, are required to report their change of address within 10 days. For those who are eligible for naturalization, we recommend they apply for it. In this environment, it is helpful to become a U.S. citizen.
You recently represented your own family members in the processes of obtaining their green cards. What was that like?
The process was deeply personal for both me and my family. We went through the first travel ban between 2016 and 2020, not knowing at the time how things were going to turn out. Throughout the process, we had to re-strategize our legal case several times. It was difficult but fortunately we were able to resolve our case. Right now we’re doing the same thing for our clients who are once again confronting this new travel ban.
What do you mean “re-strategize?” What does that look like in practice?
It depends on the case. Usually, we sit down and look at the legal strategy that we have and how it stacks with current policy, then make decisions like, for example, pausing the case until the travel ban is lifted like last time, or applying for a waiver, if applicable (which isn’t the case with this current ban). We are also monitoring how the travel ban is being implemented to see how we can best approach these cases.
Is this latest ban different from the earlier ban during Trump’s first term? And what are you seeing in terms of its implementation?
There are some categories that are exempt under this current ban. That was not the case under the earlier ban. Spouses and parents of U.S. citizens are exempt, but the adult children of a U.S. citizen, or siblings of a U.S citizen are still subject to the travel ban, as are spouses and children of green card holders. We are monitoring embassies to determine if the ban is being implemented in the way that it was drafted. For example, there is vagueness in the ban’s language over the waiver application process. What we’re seeing is that there is no exact mechanism to apply for a waiver, and so we are watching to see whether embassies or consulates even allow applicants to make an argument in favor of their case. And since the start of the conflict with Israel and the U.S. strikes, we’ve seen higher scrutiny of cases in general.
Are there any specific cases that have been particularly challenging for you personally?
The most devastating cases for me have been the fiancée cases, where someone engaged to a U.S. citizen is applying to come into the country. The process can take a year or more to adjudicate. For Iranian males, an administrative process is added which means it can take even longer. With the travel ban, cases that were already close to the finish line are being impacted. There are couples who have been waiting two years and now have to start the process again. I’ve seen clients who are emotionally devastated because of what they need to do and by the thought of having to wait possibly two, three or even four more years to be reunited.
Finally, what inspired you to pursue this work?
It might sound cliche, but I have gone through the process myself. I am an immigrant and knowing the stress and anxiety that clients experience helps me to understand and relate to them as they go through the process. I understand, and they see it in the way that I treat their cases as if it were my own.
Chris Alam is a California Local News Fellow with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
