DHS Says 2 Iranians Detained in Los Angeles Were Subjects of National Security Interest

A pastor said the individuals were members of his church who fled religious persecution in Iran.

Federal law enforcement officers detain an Iranian man in Los Angeles on June 24, 2025, in this screengrab taken from a social media video. Ara Torosian/via Reuters

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Border Patrol agents detained two Iranian nationals in Los Angeles on Tuesday during a “targeted enforcement operation.”

Both individuals were allegedly in the United States illegally and were flagged as subjects of national security interest, the department said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

One of the individuals experienced a medical emergency during the operation and agents “immediately contacted EMS and escorted her to the hospital,” the DHS said.

DHS said agents remained at the hospital to “guard the subject receiving medical care,” adding that this is a “standard procedure when an individual in the country illegally requires medical attention.”

“The female has since been discharged, and both individuals are now in ERO custody,” the DHS said.

Pastor Ara Torosian said he received a distressed phone call on Tuesday from two Iranian members of his Farsi-speaking church, informing him that federal agents had shown up at their Los Angeles home to arrest them.

He said that when he arrived at the couple’s home, federal agents prevented him from getting close to the couple, and he began filming them on his cellphone.

Torosian said the couple had recently entered the United States at the U.S.–Mexico border after making an appointment via the CBP One app, which was used by migrants to schedule appointments at U.S. ports of entry.

Customs and Border Protection ended the appointment system after President Donald Trump took office in January as part of his administration’s wider crackdown on illegal immigration.

In April, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the legal status of some of the more than 900,000 people who were allowed to enter the United States using the app. It accused the Biden administration of having allowed “millions of illegal aliens” to flood into the country and further fuel the “worst border crisis in U.S. history.”

In May, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported zero illegal immigrants released into the United States.

Torosian said his congregation has between 50 and 60 members and that many of them have been in the United States for less than two years. He said he is now warning them to stay at home instead of coming to church.

Torosian said another Iranian couple from his church, who have a 3-year-old child, were also detained during a routine immigration appointment on Monday.

The DHS said it arrested 11 Iranians over the weekend, all of whom were allegedly in the country illegally. It said the weekend arrests reflect its “commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.”

The Epoch Times has contacted the DHS for further comment.

Reuters contributed to this report.