BOSTON, Massachusetts — Shahab Dehghani, a 24-year-old Iranian student attending Northeastern University in Boston, was denied entry to the U.S. Monday night at Boston Logan Airport. He was ordered to immediately fly back to his native country, despite a court order temporarily staying his removal.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts says that Dehghani arrived in Boston on Monday with a valid student visa, but that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol refused his entry.
According to the emergency petition filed on Dehghani’s behalf, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) revoked his student visa without explanation.
“It is unclear why [CPB] would now decide, after conducting a full visa issuance process, that Plaintiff’s student visa should be revoked,” the emergency filing states.
A federal judge issued an emergency stay of his removal Monday, but a judge said Tuesday it was moot since Dehghani had taken a flight out of the country that night.
According to one of Dehghani’s attorneys, Susan Church, the order for him to be held came in around 9:30 p.m. on Monday, but he was deported just after 10 p.m.
Protesters gathered at Boston Logan Airport Monday night and outside the federal courthouse where a hearing was scheduled for Dehghani on Tuesday in Boston.
A spokesman for CPB told The Boston Globe, “CBP officers are charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws, but they also enforce over 400 laws for 40 other agencies and have stopped thousands of violators of U.S. law,” but would not comment specifically on Dehghani’s case.
The ACLU of Massachusetts released a statement via Twitter from executive director Carol Rose on Monday night:
Dehghani's attorneys say they are weighing legal options.
