LOS ANGELES — A series of arrests of Iranian asylum seekers—many of them Christian converts—by U.S. immigration officials in Southern California has sparked alarm among immigrant advocates and local religious leaders, who say the detentions are targeting vulnerable individuals with legitimate claims of persecution.

The detentions come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran under the Trump administration, and many advocates see a troubling pattern emerging nationwide.

Arrests Despite Pending Asylum Claims

Several of those arrested had credible-fear asylum cases pending, including a couple who entered the U.S. through the now-defunct CBP One app, designed to streamline asylum applications. President Trump discontinued the program after returning to office.

In one incident near the neighborhood of “Tehrangeles”—home to one of the largest Iranian communities outside Iran—ICE agents detained a man while his wife suffered a severe panic attack, collapsing in convulsions in front of their pastor, Ara Torosian.

“I was just shocked. Am I in Iran or am I in L.A.?” Torosian said, recalling the scene, which he filmed and later shared on social media.

The woman was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she was treated and released. UCLA Health issued a statement clarifying that no ICE operation was taking place inside the hospital itself, despite public concern.

Pattern of Detentions and Hunger Strikes

Torosian says this isn’t an isolated case. Another Iranian Christian family from his church was arrested during a routine immigration check-in, despite having a court date set for September. They were unexpectedly taken into custody and transferred to a Texas detention center, where the wife is now on a hunger strike.

Their attorney, Kaveh Ardalan, said he’s seen at least five recent cases of Iranian asylum seekers arrested under similar circumstances.

“They’re being detained even though they followed the rules and have hearings scheduled,” Ardalan said, adding that he also represents clients from Honduras and Venezuela in similar situations.

Community and Legal Response

Torosian and others in his parish are rallying to support detained families, including trying to raise rent money for their homes so they don’t lose them during incarceration.

The community is calling attention to what they view as a human rights crisis, particularly for Iranian Christians, who fled religious persecution only to find themselves detained without warning in the U.S.

“I’m ready for the fight,” Torosian said. “I’m standing for my people.”

Despite repeated requests, ICE has not publicly commented on the recent wave of arrests. Legal teams are working to request bond hearings for detainees, but the sudden detentions have left many frightened—and uncertain—about what comes next.