The husband of an Iranian-born mother taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) says his allegiance to Donald Trump is unshaken, even after his wife spent more than six months in detention. Their story, unfolding in a quiet suburb of Los Angeles County, has become a striking example of how political loyalty can endure through some of the most personal and painful consequences of immigration enforcement.
The family fromDiamond Barhas emerged as an unlikely symbol of unwavering support for the former president's immigration policies despite profound hardship at home. The mother, Arpineh Masihi, was detained by federal agents as part of an expanded enforcement operation, leaving her husband, Arthu Sahakyan, to care for their four young children alone.
For Sahakyan, the ordeal has not eroded his political commitments. He has publicly maintained his support for Trump and his hard-line approach to immigration enforcement, even as he struggles with separation from his wife and the uncertainty surrounding her legal fate.
On 30 June 2025, Masihi was taken into ICE custody outside her family home following a scheduled immigration check-in, according to interviews with local television.
Masihi, 39, was born in Iran and arrived in the United States at the age of three as a refugee with her family. Her legal residency was later revoked after a conviction for burglary and grand theft in 2008, which resulted in a two-year prison sentence. An immigration judge ordered her removal, a decision that set the stage for her eventual detention under heightened enforcement priorities.
Federal officials have said Masihi's case was part of a broader series of enforcement actions against Iranian nationals, a step that came amid heightened geopolitical tensions and concerns over national security. The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that individuals with criminal records who lack lawful status are subject to removal, a position endorsed by the Trump administration's enforcement agenda.
In phone calls from the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California's Mojave Desert, Masihi described her situation as 'very challenging' but insisted she understood the rationale behind immigration enforcement, according to sources with direct interview transcripts.
ICE detained his wife for 187 days—husband would still vote for Trump."I support him until day I die. He’s making America great again...I don’t blame Trump. I blame Joe Biden."Wife's green card revoked after theft conviction—making her a criminal Trump promised to deport.…pic.twitter.com/9cfC5aaeGc
Despite the emotional strain of separation, Sahakyan has repeatedly affirmed his loyalty to Trump and the wider MAGA movement. He says he understands why federal authorities acted as they did and continues to believe that tougher immigration measures are necessary for national safety.
'Trump is not trying to do anything bad,' Sahakyan told FOX 11 Los Angeles. 'We understand what he's doing. He wants the best for the country,' he said, underscoring his belief in the president's intentions even as his family endures hardship.
Source: International Business Times UK
