Fact Check: Kashanian has no criminal record but was still arrested by ICE.

Fact Check: "Kashanian has no criminal record but was still arrested by ICE."

What We Know

Madonna "Donna" Kashanian, a 64-year-old Iranian woman, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents while gardening outside her home in New Orleans. Kashanian has lived in the United States for 47 years, arriving in 1978 on a student visa. Although her application for asylum was denied, she was granted a stay of removal, which required her to comply with immigration regulations. Family members have confirmed that she has no criminal record and has consistently met the conditions of her stay (The Guardian, Fox 8, NOLA).

Her arrest occurred shortly after U.S. military airstrikes in Iran, and federal officials have not commented specifically on her case, although they did mention the arrests of 11 Iranians nationwide during the same period (The Guardian). Kashanian's family has expressed disbelief over her detention, emphasizing her compliance with immigration rules and her long-standing residence in the U.S. (Fox 8, WWLTV).

Analysis

The claim that Kashanian has no criminal record but was still arrested by ICE is supported by multiple reliable sources. Both family members and news reports consistently state that she has not been accused of any crime (Fox 8, NOLA). The context of her arrest, occurring just after military actions involving Iran, raises questions about the motivations behind her detention, particularly given the reported increase in arrests of individuals without criminal histories under the Trump administration (The Guardian, NOLA).

The sources used in this fact-check are credible news outlets, including The Guardian, which is known for its investigative journalism, and local news stations like Fox 8 and WWLTV, which provide community-focused reporting. The consistency across these reports lends credibility to the assertion that Kashanian has no criminal record.

However, it is important to note that the broader context of immigration enforcement under the Trump administration has been criticized for its aggressive tactics, particularly targeting individuals who previously had some level of legal protection (The Guardian). This context may suggest that Kashanian's detention is part of a larger trend rather than an isolated incident.

Conclusion

The claim that "Kashanian has no criminal record but was still arrested by ICE" is True. Multiple credible sources confirm that she has lived in the U.S. for nearly five decades without a criminal record and has complied with immigration requirements. Her arrest appears to be part of a broader pattern of increased enforcement actions against individuals without criminal histories.

Fact Check: Kashanian has no criminal record but was still arrested by ICE.