Morgan Gardner Karimi, 30, believed she was protecting national security by backing President Donald Trump. But after her husband — an Iranian national — was detained by U.S. immigration authorities, her views on the president have taken a dramatic turn.
“We believed in his immigration policies and were completely blindsided,” she told Newsweek. “We honestly thought only criminals would be detained.”
Her husband, 26-year-old Ribvar Karimi, was among eleven Iranian nationals taken into custody last Sunday during an ICE enforcement operation, The Mirror US reported. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the arrests were part of efforts to “keep known or suspected terrorists out of American communities.”
Karimi legally entered the United States in October 2024 on a K-1 fiancé visa but failed to adjust his status after arrival, triggering deportation proceedings, according to ICE. But the DHS says the concerns go beyond immigration paperwork. Authorities allege that Karimi served as a sniper in the Iranian military between 2019 and 2021 and carried an official military ID issued by Tehran.
Karimi does not deny having served as a sniper or being a member of the Iranian army — military service is compulsory for Iranian men aged 18 and older. However, he strongly denies having any ties to the regime in power.
In a statement quoted by Newsweek, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin defended the decision to detain Karimi, saying: “We’ve said all along that we are removing the worst of the worst — and we are. We don’t wait for a military operation to act. We proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
But Morgan Gardner isn’t convinced. In an interview with WIAT, she said, “My husband never fought U.S. forces or our allies. He fought against ISIS and was even captured at one point.”
Seven months pregnant, Gardner says the separation has become a personal tragedy. “My heart is broken. Our baby shower is next weekend, and he won’t be home for it,” she told WIAT.
Beyond the emotional toll, the family is now facing a political reckoning. “Even though he’s from Iran, my husband supported Trump, believed in his immigration policies, and prayed he would help free the Iranian people,” she explained to Newsweek.
But after the arrest, Gardner says the entire family feels betrayed. “Everyone feels like a fool and regrets the decision. I didn’t vote in the last election, and neither did my parents. At this point, I believe there are dangerous people on both the left and the right,” she added.
