Two Iranian Christian sisters who were detained by federal authorities last month under accusations that they entered the country illegally have been freed while their cases proceed.
A judge granted the release of Mahan Motahari, 38, and Mozhan Motahari, 31, on Jan. 16 after their attorney filed a petition for their release. Mozhan was released the following day, while Mahan was released last week, according to Episcopal News Service.
The sisters came to the United States in 2022 and were active members of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in McLean, Virginia.
The Rev. Fran Gardner-Smith, the rector at St. Thomas, told ENS that she and her congregation “were just thrilled” by news of their release and “can’t wait to welcome them back [to the church] when they’re feeling well enough.”
“They’ve done nothing wrong,” Gardner-Smith said. “There are people all around our country who are being detained for spurious reasons. … My joy [at the Motaharis’ release] is so tempered with seeing what’s happening to others.”
Gardner-Smith and members of St. Thomas actively supported the Motaharis during their detention and closely observed the legal proceedings.
“The judge noted that there were a lot of us there in support of them,” Gardner-Smith told ENS. “We could not have fit another human in the lawyer’s office.”
While Mahan and Mozhan Motahari had encountered Christianity while still in Iran, the two were baptized at St. Thomas church shortly after arriving in the United States.
The U.S. Border Patrol Ramey Sector posted to its Facebook account last month that agents had "encountered two illegal aliens from Iran" in the U.S. Virgin Islands after Thanksgiving.
"Ramey Sector agents responded and assumed custody of the individuals. Both subjects are being processed for removal proceedings," stated the Puerto Rico-based sector.
"[U.S. Customs and Border Protection] in Puerto Rico and in the U.S. Virgin Islands remains committed to securing our borders and safeguarding our communities."
According to a CBP statement, "CBP officers were conducting outbound operations at the Cyril E. King Airport when they encountered two Iranian national women who were determined to be illegally present in the U.S.
"No fun in the sun when you are unlawfully present," CBP stated at the time. "In coordination with US Border Patrol Ramey Sector agents, the two women were arrested and transported to be processed for removal."
Parastoo Zahedi, the lawyer for the sisters, rejected the claim that the Motaharis were in the country illegally, telling ENS in December that the sisters had lawfully applied for asylum and that previous administrations have allowed individuals seeking asylum to remain in the United States while their petitions were pending.
Since taking office earlier this year, President Donald Trump's administration has ramped up immigration enforcement operations and has detained and deported thousands of suspected undocumented immigrants. The administration and its supporters argue that enforcement operations are necessary to crack down on criminals, but advocates say that many who have followed legal processes or have fled persecution have been unjustly harmed.
The Trump administration has also deported other Iranian Christians, including 11 who were deported from the U.S. to Panama last year. Among them was Artemis Ghasemzadeh, a 27-year-old who crossed the border illegally in December 2024 but says she was never given a "credible fear" interview as an asylum seeker.
Last June, an Iranian pastor in California reported that five members of his congregation had been detained by authorities, including a family that was seeking asylum.
