In recent days, two of at least 10 Iranian college students denied entry to the U.S. chose to file civil complaints with the Department of Homeland Security. Defending those students, Shahab Dehghani and Reihana Emami Arandi, is Immigration Attorney Susan Church, who stopped by Boston Public Radio on Wednesday to discuss the cases.
“He’s no different than any other American kid, and he’s lost everything,” Church said of Dehghani.
An economics student at Northeastern University, Dehghani was denied re-entry despite spending nearly a year in what Church argues was a thorough re-entry process.
“It makes no sense!” Church said. "The only thing we can imagine, because the [Customs and Border Protection] officer refused to even sign his name to the order… [was] that this officer took it upon himself to Google the names on the person’s resume and say ‘oh, I disagree with what the State Department [concluded]– which involves intelligence checks, it involves personal interviews at the consulate, it involves running the names of your family members through it. It’s an extensive process.”
Dehghani is currently stuck in Iran.
“He’s lost his semester — at least,” Church said.
35 year-old Reihana Emami Arandi said in her complaint that she was subjected to nearly eight hours of aggressive questioning without the option of contacting legal counsel before ultimately being deported.
Arandi had a valid student visa and was scheduled attend the Harvard Divinity School.
"We have these very powerful law enforcement agencies that’re approaching unlimited power with regards to people who are just trying to come here legally, and it’s a terrifying situation,” Church said.“I deal with a lot of clients who are from countries where there’s no rule of law, and none of us want to live in that country.”
