IRS says churches can now endorse political candidates

• Mandonna Kashanian, detained in 2025 by ICE despite 47 years of compliance and U.S. family ties.
• ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals in June 2025 amid heightened U.S.-Iran political tensions.
• Advocates call for case-by-case reviews and criticize broad enforcement lacking transparency.

Mandonna Kashanian’s Detention by ICE in New Orleans: A Family’s Struggle and the Broader Impact on Iranian Immigrants

Mandonna Kashanian, an Iranian mother who has lived in the United States for nearly five decades, was recently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in her own yard in New Orleans. Her arrest has sent shockwaves through her family and the wider Iranian American community, raising urgent questions about current immigration enforcement policies, due process, and the human cost of political tensions between the United States and Iran.

This article explores the details of Mandonna Kashanian’s case, the policy environment that led to her detention, and what it means for other long-term residents and their families. It also looks at the broader pattern of ICE actions against Iranian nationals and the challenges faced by families and advocates seeking justice and transparency.

Who Is Mandonna Kashanian and Why Was She Detained?

Mandonna Kashanian first arrived in the United States in 1978, just before the Iranian Revolution, on a student visa. Fearing for her safety due to her father’s support of the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran, she applied for asylum—a form of protection for people who fear harm in their home country. Her asylum request was denied, but she was allowed to stay in the country with her U.S. citizen husband and their daughter. The condition was that she regularly checked in with immigration authorities.

For 47 years, Mandonna Kashanian complied with every requirement. Even during Hurricane Katrina, she checked in remotely, showing her commitment to following the rules. Despite this long history of compliance, ICE officers arrived at her New Orleans home in 2025, handcuffed her while she was gardening, and took her to a detention center in Basile, Louisiana.

Her daughter, Kaitlynn Milne, expressed deep worry about her mother’s future, saying, “She tried to do everything right.” The family is now desperately seeking information and working to secure her release.

A Growing Pattern: ICE’s Increased Arrests of Iranian Nationals

Mandonna Kashanian’s case is not an isolated incident. In 2024 and 2025, ICE has increased arrests of Iranian nationals, including people who have lived in the United States for decades and have deep ties to their communities. The Department of Homeland Security has not released the total number of Iranians arrested, but advocacy groups and immigration lawyers report a clear uptick.

This increase in enforcement comes at a time of heightened political tension between the United States and Iran, including recent U.S. military strikes on Iranian targets. According to the National Iranian American Council, ICE’s approach appears to be a broad “round up” of Iranians, regardless of whether they pose any real threat.

Ryan Costello, policy director of the National Iranian American Council, described the situation as “very concerning,” pointing out that many arrests do not seem to be based on individualized threat assessments. Instead, people like Mandonna Kashanian, who have followed all the rules and built their lives in the United States, are being swept up in these enforcement actions.

Recent ICE Operations: Who Is Being Targeted?

In late June 2025, ICE arrested 11 Iranian nationals over a single weekend in cities such as Houston and Colorado Springs. Some of those arrested had criminal records or final orders of removal, meaning a judge had already ordered them to leave the country. Others, however, like Mandonna Kashanian, had no criminal history and had complied with all immigration requirements for years.

This mix of cases has led to confusion and fear among Iranian American families. While some arrests involve people with serious criminal backgrounds, others seem to target individuals whose only “violation” is a technical immigration issue or a denied asylum claim from decades ago.

Israeli soldiers ‘psychologically broken’ over Gaza war

Israeli soldiers have been left “psychologically broken” because of the ongoing war in Gaza, a United Nations expert has said.

Francesca Albanese, the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories told Sky News that “many” Israeli soldiers had been left “haunted by what they have see, what they have done”. 

“It doesn’t make sense,” Ms Albanese said. “This is not a war, this is an assault against civilians and this is producing a fracture in many of them.

“As that soldier’s testimony reveals, especially the youngest among the soldiers have been convinced this is a form of patriotism, of defending Israel and Israeli society against this opaque but very hard felt enemy, which is Hamas.

“But the thing is that they’ve come to confront the reality among the rubble of Gaza.”

Five Israeli soldiers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Gaza overnight after a second round of ceasefire negotiations in Qatar.

An Israeli security official said two explosive devices were detonated against soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area of northern Gaza, killing five soldiers and injuring 14 more.

It came as officials from Israel and Hamas continued with another round of indirect talks in Doha, which started on Sunday and have since provided no breakthrough.

Far right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich called for an end to the peace talks in response to the attack on Israeli troops.

“We should not negotiate with those who kill our soldiers. They should be crushed to pieces, starved to death, and not resuscitated with humanitarian aid that gives them oxygen,” Ben-Gvir said.

Mr Netanyahu last night joined Donald Trump at the White House and revealed that he had nominated the US president for a Nobel Peace Prize.

Today he is expected to meet JD Vance, the vice president, and the leaders of Congress in Washington.

Both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu expressed hope that a ceasefire deal could be reached this week.

An Israeli minister said on Tuesday there was a “substantial chance” that a ceasefire could be agreed as talks continued in Doha.

Rubio impersonator used AI in calls to foreign ministers, cable shows