A former Iranian army sniper now in U.S. immigration custody is described by his wife as a devoted supporter of President Donald Trump. In an interview with Newsweek, she said her husband never attempted to conceal his military background from U.S. authorities.
Ribvar Karimi, 26, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on June 22 in Locust, Alabama, according to his family. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says he served as a sniper in the Iranian military between 2018 and 2021. Karimi entered the U.S. legally in October 2024 on a K-1 visa for foreign fiancés, but failed to file for adjustment of status in time—making him subject to removal.
His wife, Morgan Karimi, 30 and currently seven and a half months pregnant, told Newsweek that her husband is deeply committed to the United States and strongly aligned with Trump’s policies.
“Even coming from Iran, he supported Trump. He believed in his immigration policies, thought he was protecting Americans, and prayed he would help free the Iranian people,” she said.
Karimi, originally from Iran’s Kurdish region—a known center of anti-regime sentiment—met Morgan in 2020 while playing Call of Duty online. The couple married in January 2025. Eager to embrace American life, he even ordered a wedding cake shaped like the American flag.
“That was one of the first things he bought after arriving,” she recalled.
Karimi is not currently employed, as the couple has been focused on Morgan’s high-risk pregnancy. Their unborn son has been diagnosed with heart and lung abnormalities, which they say delayed their immigration paperwork.
“Everything was ready—we just hadn’t filed yet. We were planning to do it after the birth,” she explained. ICE agents, however, showed up before they had the chance.
According to Morgan, agents initially visited her parents’ home before coming to the couple’s house. “We were sitting on the porch waiting for them. Ribvar handed everything over willingly,” she said. Officers reportedly cited the failure to submit the adjustment of status paperwork as the reason for the arrest.
While K-1 visa holders are required to marry within 90 days of entry—something the Karimis did—there is no strict legal deadline for submitting the adjustment paperwork.
“If there had been a clear deadline, we would’ve met it. I follow the rules. I would never have let my husband be in this position, especially so close to our son’s birth,” she said.
Morgan also insisted that Ribvar was fully transparent about his military background. All relevant documents, including his military ID, were disclosed.
“In Iran, military service is mandatory. If you don’t serve, you can’t even get a passport to leave,” she explained, adding that her husband has always opposed the regime.
The family fears Karimi could be imprisoned or executed if deported to Iran due to his political views and pro-American stance. His brother, also a political refugee, now lives in France.
Karimi’s arrest comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, following President Trump’s recent order for strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
According to a DHS statement cited by Newsweek, Karimi is one of 11 Iranian nationals taken into custody over the weekend.
In the same statement, DHS Deputy Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said: “Under the leadership of Kristi Noem, we are focused on identifying and removing known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists who entered the country illegally—whether through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or other channels. We are aggressively implementing President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.”
Morgan Karimi says she feels betrayed by a system she once trusted. “We believed in the immigration policies. We thought they were meant to target criminals. Now we feel completely misled,” she told Newsweek.
Although she did not vote in 2024, Morgan said her family strongly supported Trump. But today, she says she’s lost faith in both political sides.
“There are extremists on the left and the right. I don’t trust either anymore.” With her baby due on August 20, Morgan says she’s doing everything she can to ensure her husband is freed in time.
Source: Newsweek
