Mandana Kashanian/Iran/Illegal Presence(Overstaying Visa)

ICE New Orleans arrested Mandana Kashanian, a citizen of Iran and an illegal alien in the United States, during an operation focused on individuals with longstanding immigration violations. Kashanian, 65, first entered the U.S. legally in 1978 but has remained unlawfully for decades after failing to comply with multiple orders requiring her to leave the country.

Her immigration history is extensive and marked by repeated attempts to delay her removal. On November 17, 1983, the former Immigration and Naturalization Service issued Kashanian an Order to Show Cause, charging her with deportability for overstaying the period of admission originally granted on her visa. This legal action set in motion a lengthy series of court proceedings and appeals.

On March 26, 1987, an Immigration Judge granted Kashanian voluntary departure—a discretionary measure allowing her to leave the country without facing a formal deportation order. However, she did not depart as required. Following this, Kashanian appealed her case to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which ultimately denied her appeal on September 15, 1992. Despite the BIA’s ruling and the expiration of her voluntary departure period, Kashanian remained in the United States.

ICE officers recently apprehended Kashanian without incident. She had no lawful immigration status and had not sought legal relief to remain in the country. ICE verified her identity and confirmed the outstanding removal order before placing her into proceedings for deportation. Kashanian remains in ICE custody, awaiting a hearing before an immigration judge that will determine the final outcome of her case.