Why Was an Iranian Christian Asylum Seeker Detained for Nine Months Before His Recent Release?

Reza, an Iranian Christian convert and asylum seeker, was released from a New Mexico immigration detention facility this week after spending 267 days in custody. His release followed a nine-month legal battle that began with a viral arrest on a Los Angeles sidewalk. While his wife, Marjan, was granted asylum and released months earlier, Reza remained in detention due to complex legal jurisdictional issues and a specific immigration status known as "CAT withholding." His freedom was finally secured through a federal habeas petition and the persistent advocacy of his local church community.

Faithfulness in the Fire: Iranian Christian Released After Nine Months of Detention

The Long Road to Freedom: 267 Days of Detention

The ordeal for Reza and his wife, Marjan, began on a sidewalk in Los Angeles in June 2025. Border Patrol agents arrested the couple, who had fled Iran seeking religious freedom. The arrest was captured on video and quickly went viral, showing the distressing moment Marjan suffered a panic attack as they were taken into custody.

While Marjan was released after 120 days and granted full asylum, Reza’s journey took a much longer and more difficult path. He was transferred to a detention center in New Mexico, placing him under a different legal jurisdiction than his wife. For the next nine months: totaling 267 days: Reza remained behind bars, separated from his family and his church community.

During his time in detention, Reza faced uncertainty. In November 2025, a judge granted him "withholding of removal" under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). While this acknowledged that Reza would likely face torture if returned to Iran, it did not grant him the full benefits of asylum. Instead, it left him in a state of legal limbo: protected from being sent back to Iran, but still subject to detention or deportation to a third country that might take him.

The Role of the Local Church

Reza’s release was not just a legal victory; it was a testament to the power of a dedicated faith community. Cornerstone West Los Angeles, the church the couple attended, refused to let Reza be forgotten. Led by Pastor Ara Torosian, the congregation mobilized to support the couple.

They maintained constant contact with Reza’s legal team, provided emotional support to Marjan, and eventually raised the funds necessary to fly Reza back to Los Angeles once he was cleared for release. Pastor Torosian, who meticulously tracked every day of Reza’s detention, has since used this case to shine a light on other Iranian Christians still held in U.S. immigration facilities.

The struggle for Iranian converts is particularly acute. In Iran, leaving Islam for Christianity is often treated as a capital offense. This persecution extends even to the family members of converts. While Reza was in U.S. detention, authorities in Iran reportedly raided his parents’ home looking for Christian materials, despite his parents not being Christians themselves.

Both Sides: Security and Sanctuary

The case of Reza and Marjan brings to the forefront a difficult conversation regarding the intersection of national security and the protection of religious minorities.

On one side, immigration officials and proponents of strict enforcement argue that thorough vetting processes are necessary to maintain the integrity of the border. From this perspective, detention is a tool used to ensure that individuals appearing before the court do not disappear into the country before their legal status is fully determined. They argue that different judges and jurisdictions naturally lead to different outcomes based on the specific evidence presented in each individual case.

On the other side, human rights advocates and religious leaders argue that the prolonged detention of persecuted minorities is unnecessary and often cruel. They point out that Reza and Marjan posed no threat to the community and had a supportive local church ready to house and care for them. In this view, holding a man for nine months when his life is demonstrably at risk in his home country is a failure of the system to provide the "safe haven" that the United States has historically promised to the oppressed.

Why This Matters

This story matters because it highlights a global reality: the "Persecuted Church" is not just a concept found in missionary reports; it is present within our own borders. For those living in the Mid-South and across the United States, Reza’s story serves as a reminder that the freedom to worship is a fragile and precious right.

It also highlights the complexities of the U.S. immigration system, where two people from the same household, fleeing the same danger, can face vastly different legal outcomes based on geography and jurisdiction. As Iranian Christians continue to flee state-sanctioned violence, the American legal system remains a primary, albeit complicated, gateway to safety.

A Pentecostal Perspective: Faithfulness in the Fire

From an Assemblies of God perspective, we look at Reza’s 267 days of detention through the lens of spiritual endurance and the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Pentecostal tradition, we believe that the same Holy Spirit who comforted the apostles in prison is active and present today.

Reza’s experience mirrors the biblical narrative of the "fire." Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were preserved in the Babylonian furnace, Reza was preserved through a season of isolation and legal uncertainty. We see his release as an answer to the persistent prayers of the saints.

As a people of the Spirit, we are called to:

1. Stand with the Persecuted: We recognize that when one part of the Body of Christ suffers, we all suffer. Reza’s detention was not just his burden; it was a burden for the entire Church.

2. Believe in Divine Deliverance: We celebrate his release as an act of God’s grace, moving through the hands of lawyers, pastors, and judges.

3. Prepare for the Second Coming: These trials remind us that we live in a broken world where justice is often delayed. Our ultimate hope is not in a legal status, but in the return of Christ, who will establish perfect justice for all nations.

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit provides the "dunamios" (power) to endure such trials. We pray that Reza and Marjan find deep healing from the trauma of the last year, and that the Spirit continues to embolden the Church to speak for those who have no voice.

Life Takeaway: Persistent Prayer and Practical Action

What can we learn from Reza’s 267-day journey?

• Don't stop praying: The church in Los Angeles didn't stop advocating or praying after month one, or even month eight. Persistence is key in both the spiritual and physical realms.

• Support your local community: The local church was the primary support system for this couple. Your involvement in your own local congregation can have a global impact when you welcome the stranger and the refugee.

• Stay informed: Persecution is a reality for millions of believers worldwide. Staying informed about the Persecuted Church allows us to pray specifically and act effectively.

Reza is now home, but many others remain in detention centers across the country, facing similar legal hurdles. May we remain a people who value the "Hidden Good News": the stories of redemption and freedom that often get lost in the noise of the daily news cycle.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, confused, or emotionally drained by the news cycle: your reaction is not “weak.” It’s human. We invite you into a Jesus-centered community for spiritual family and care at BoundlessOnlineChurch.org. If you need private, personal guidance during a hard season, Dr. Layne McDonald offers Christian coaching and mentoring at LayneMcDonald.com. Stay grounded, stay hopeful, and keep pointing to Jesus.

Source:Article 120, Religious Liberty Archive, LAPD/Border Patrol News Briefs (March 2026).