As a former refugee from Iran, I experienced religious freedom in the United States but now face distressing circumstances as my Iranian congregants have been detained. After fleeing persecution, I witnessed two families from my church arrested during asylum proceedings, jeopardizing their safety. One family, including a young child, is now held in South Texas, while another couple endured a dangerous journey from Turkey to seek asylum in the U.S. The situation evokes painful memories of persecution under the Iranian regime and raises concerns about America's treatment of vulnerable immigrants.
After living under house arrest for two years, I fled as a refugee and was ultimately resettled to the United States. I experienced true religious freedom for the first time in my life in this country.
Two families from my Farsi-speaking evangelical congregation in Los Angeles have been detained recently, including a couple and their 3-year-old daughter, who fear persecution if returned to Iran.
The woman and her husband found themselves in a desperate situation in Turkey and could not fly directly to the U.S. as resettled refugees. Instead, they made a treacherous journey.
Painful flashbacks to Tehran haunt me as I witness the treatment of my congregants by the U.S. government, who are detained, threatened with deportation, and separated from their families.
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