Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad/Iran/Assault

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, a citizen of Iran and an illegal alien in the U.S., was arrested by ICE Houston officials on June 22. Sepehrian was apprehended while in possession of a loaded 9mm pistol despite having a final order of removal. He initially entered the United States on December 9, 2016, through Houston on an F-1 student visa. His immigration status began to unravel less than a year later when, on August 19, 2017, he was arrested by Harris County authorities for assaulting a family member by impeding breathing. According to reports, the victim—his wife—told the assistant district attorney that Sepehrian had been threatening her and her family in Iran. She obtained a restraining order for protection.

On July 23, 2018, Sepehrian’s student status was terminated by the University of Texas after he was placed on academic suspension. His legal presence in the country ended, and he was later issued a final order of removal on October 10, 2019, by an immigration judge. Although Sepehrian attempted to file a motion to reopen his case, it was denied by the Department of Justice.

At the time of his arrest, he had failed to depart the U.S. as required and was found armed. ICE placed him into custody, where he remains pending deportation proceedings. Given his past violent conduct, threats, and immigration violations, officials have prioritized his removal.