Reza Zavvar, a lawful permanent resident who has lived in the United States since childhood, was apprehended on June 28 outside his home in Maryland while walking his dog. Since then, he has been held at an ICE detention center in Texas, far from his family, Newsweek reported.
Zavvar, 52, has lived in the U.S. since the age of 12, when he arrived from Iran on a student visa. He later obtained a green card and was eventually joined by the rest of his family. According to NBC4 Washington, his detention appears linked to a decades-old misdemeanor marijuana possession case from the 1990s, which reignited deportation proceedings against him.
The family’s attorney said that while Zavvar was issued a removal order by a judge in 2007, he was granted a form of protection known as “withholding of removal,” which allowed him to remain in the country legally and continue working. No incidents have been reported since.
The arrest occurred without warning. “I heard a knock at the door, and a uniformed man handed me my son’s leash,” his mother, Firouzeh Firouzabadi, told NBC4 Washington. “I immediately thought he’d been hit by a car.”
Zavvar was first questioned in Maryland before being transferred hundreds of miles away to an immigration detention facility in Texas.
Asked by Newsweek, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defended the arrest. Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS official, stated: “Reza Zavvar is a criminal illegal alien. He was convicted and received a final removal order in 2007. He had nearly 20 years to leave the country.”
The Trump administration has launched what it claims to be the largest deportation operation in modern history.
Green card holders and visa recipients have been among those targeted, according to a series of investigations by Newsweek.
His sister, Maryam Zavvar, told local media: “I don’t understand why he’s being held like a criminal, so far from us. I haven’t been able to sleep since his arrest.”
Family friend Bany Alavi also voiced disbelief: “Reza is a quiet, respectful man. Everyone loves him.”
According to the family, authorities are now considering deporting him to a third country such as Romania or Australia, even though he is originally from Iran. No clear explanation has been provided.
