Overview
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained 11 Iranian nationals living in the country without authorization over a single weekend following presidential orders to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
- Detained individuals include a former Revolutionary Guard Corps member who admitted Hezbollah links and an ex-Iranian army sniper who entered on a K-1 visa.
- DHS reports that five of the arrestees carry prior convictions for offenses such as grand larceny, drug crimes and unlawful firearm possession.
- Federal officials activated the National Terrorism Advisory System after airstrikes and have not tied these arrests to any confirmed terror plots.
- Advocates and lawmakers warn that reallocating counterterrorism agents toward immigration enforcement may strain national security resources during heightened U.S.-Iran tensions.