NEED TO KNOW
- Arpineh Masihi, a Trump supporter and Iranian immigrant, was targeted by ICE and taken from her home on June 30
- Her husband, Arthu Sahakyan, told a local news station that even though he misses Masihi, he still supports the Trump administration’s efforts to vet Iranian nationals
- When asked whether he would take his MAGA flag off their house while his wife is detained, Sahakyan replied, “No, the flag stands”
A California family is standing firmly behind Donald Trump even after Immigration and Customs Enforcement came knocking on their own front door.
Arpineh Masihi and her husband, Arthu Sahakyan, are proud fans of the president: they sided with him in the last election, wave his flag outside their home and even gave MAGA hats to their children.
But the couple’s open support of Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement didn’t stop ICE from taking Masihi, an Iranian immigrant, from her home amid the administration’s mass deportation efforts, reports Fox 11.
Masihi, who is now in her 40s, was 3 when she came to the United States as a refugee from Iran. About 15 years ago, her green card was revoked due to a prior conviction she had for theft, and since then she’s been dedicated to regaining her legal status, Sahakyan told the Los Angeles TV station in an interview.
Her occasional immigration check-ins had seemingly been going smoothly until the U.S. got involved with Israel’s war against Iran and began fearing retribution for bombing three of the country’s nuclear sites on June 21.
Shortly thereafter Masihi was detained, along with more than 130 Iranian nationals, federal sources told the outlet.
As for Masihi getting caught in the mix, Sahakyan suggested he isn’t taking it personally.
“Trump is not trying to do anything bad. We understand what he’s doing,” he told the outlet. “He wants the best for the country. I’m just trying to make the best of it.”
ICE officials arrived at their home — which is adorned with Trump’s “Keep America Great” flag out front — in Diamond Bar, Calif., on June 30.
Before leaving with the agents, Masihi briefly said goodbye to her husband and “came and kissed the kids,” Sahakyan said. The family has not seen her since.
Despite Sahakyan’s optimism over his wife’s fate, Masihi got emotional during a phone call with Fox 11 as she expressed concern for her future and her immigration status.
“I’m on the list to be going to a different facility,” Masihi told the outlet.
While Sahakyan said he doesn’t wish the experience of a family member being detained on anyone else, he still has trust in Trump’s end goal. And as his wife sits in ICE detention, he intends to keep their Trump flag flying and pro-Trump signs on display.
“I’m still supporting [Trump],” he said. “Even though my friends say, ‘Take the flag down, you’re going through a lot,’ I’m like, ‘No, the flag stands.’ “
