ICE arrests 11 Iranian illegal immigrants: DHS

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has in the past several days arrested 11 Iranian illegal immigrants, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday.

The illegal immigrants were arrested over the weekend, along with a U.S. citizen who threatened to kill ICE agents while harboring an Iranian illegal immigrant.

“Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out – and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”

One of the illegal immigrants, Ribvar Karimi, was arrested on Sunday by ICE in Locust, Alabama, and reportedly served as an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021. When he was arrested, he had an Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card in his possession.

Karimi entered the U.S. in October on a K-1 visa, which is for foreign nationals who are engaged to be married to U.S. citizens. He didn't adjust his status, which is legally required, and is removable from the U.S., according to DHS.

Also on Sunday, Mehran Makari Saheli, 56, was arrested by ICE in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was convicted of felony possession of a firearm in Minneapolis, where he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Saheli is a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah. In June 2022, an immigration judge ordered him to be removed from the U.S., but he remained under the Biden administration, DHS also said in its press release. 

The arrests occurred after Trump bombed Iranian nuclear sites Saturday, amid Israel and Iran exchanging air strikes. Iran launched six missiles at the United States' Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Monday in response, but Qatar successfully intercepted the missiles and there were no casualties.