Two Iranian Christian sisters who were detained by federal authorities last month under accusations that they entered the country illegally have been freed while their cases proceed.
A judge granted the discharge of Mahan Motahari, 38, and Mozhan Motahari, 31, on Jan. 16 after their attorney filed a petition for his or her release. Mozhan was released the next day, while Mahan was released last week, in accordance with Episcopal News Service.
The sisters got here to the United States in 2022 and were energetic members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean, Virginia.
The Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith, the rector at St. Thomas, told ENS that she and her congregation “were just thrilled” by news of their release and “can’t wait to welcome them back [to the church] once they’re feeling well enough.”
“They’ve done nothing improper,” Gardner-Smith said. “There are people throughout our country who’re being detained for spurious reasons. … My joy [at the Motaharis’ release] is so tempered with seeing what’s happening to others.”
Gardner-Smith and members of St. Thomas actively supported the Motaharis during their detention and closely observed the legal proceedings.
“The judge noted that there have been a whole lot of us there in support of them,” Gardner-Smith told ENS. “We couldn’t have fit one other human within the lawyer’s office.”
While Mahan and Mozhan Motahari had encountered Christianity while still in Iran, the 2 were baptized at St. Thomas church shortly after arriving within the United States.
The U.S. Border Patrol Ramey Sector posted to its Facebook account last month that agents had “encountered two illegal aliens from Iran” within the U.S. Virgin Islands after Thanksgiving.
“Ramey Sector agents responded and assumed custody of the individuals. Both subjects are being processed for removal proceedings,” stated the Puerto Rico-based sector.
“[U.S. Customs and Border Protection] in Puerto Rico and within the U.S. Virgin Islands stays committed to securing our borders and safeguarding our communities.”
According to a CBP statement, “CBP officers were conducting outbound operations on the Cyril E. King Airport once they encountered two Iranian national women who were determined to be illegally present within the U.S.
“No fun within the sun when you find yourself unlawfully present,” CBP stated on the time. “In coordination with US Border Patrol Ramey Sector agents, the 2 women were arrested and transported to be processed for removal.”
Parastoo Zahedi, the lawyer for the sisters, rejected the claim that the Motaharis were within the country illegally, telling ENS in December that the sisters had lawfully applied for asylum and that previous administrations have allowed individuals looking for asylum to stay within the United States while their petitions were pending.
Since taking office earlier this yr, President Donald Trump’s administration has ramped up immigration enforcement operations and has detained and deported 1000’s of suspected undocumented immigrants. The administration and its supporters argue that enforcement operations are mandatory to crack down on criminals, but advocates say that many who’ve followed legal processes or have fled persecution have been unjustly harmed.
The Trump administration has also deported other Iranian Christians, including 11 who were deported from the U.S. to Panama last yr. Among them was Artemis Ghasemzadeh, a 27-year-old who crossed the border illegally in December 2024 but says she was never given a “credible fear” interview as an asylum seeker.
Last June, an Iranian pastor in California reported that five members of his congregation had been detained by authorities, including a family that was looking for asylum.
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