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3 months ago
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A green card holder who has been living in the United States for 40 years was detained by federal agents while walking his dog.
Reza Zavvar, 52, was apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 28 just outside his home in Maryland and is currently being detained at a facility in Texas.
Newsweek reached out to Zavvar's family and ICE for comment.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: "On June 28, 2025, ICE Baltimore and CBP arrested Reza Zavvar—a criminal illegal alien from Iran. He was convicted of attempted possession of a controlled substance.
"Following his criminal conviction, Zavvar was placed into removal proceedings. A judge issued him a final order of removal in 2007. Zavvar had almost 20 years to self-deport and leave the U.S.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration is enacting plans to carry out what it calls the largest deportation operation in U.S. history as part of the Republicans' hard-line immigration agenda.
In addition to people living in the country without legal status, immigrants with valid documentation, including green cards and visas, have been detained. Newsweek has revealed dozens of cases involving green card holders and applicants who were swept up in the immigration raids.
Federal immigration authorities continue to pursue deportations not only of undocumented immigrants but also of former green card holders with past criminal records.
What To Know
Zavvar arrived in the U.S. legally from Iran as a student at the age of 12, and now he faces deportation to a country gripped by instability and conflict.
Zavvar's mother, Firouzeh Firouzabadi, told NBC4 Washington that only minutes after Zavvar went out to walk his dog, Duke, uniformed strangers appeared at her front door with the leash in hand.
"I heard the knock on the door," Firouzabadi said.
"I was shaking," Firouzabadi told the outlet. "My brother was behind me holding me, and a lot of questions were coming, but the first thing that came to my mind was that maybe a car hit him and he's on the floor, that's why they brought him, Duke to me. That was the first thing that hit me. It was hard."
Zavvar's family said he was initially taken to a facility in Baltimore for questioning before being transferred to a detention center in Texas, according to NBC4 Washington.
Zavvar was sent to the U.S. by his parents to pursue his education and later obtained a green card, NBC4 Washington reported. The rest of the family joined him in the U.S. several years later.
According to the family's attorney, Zavvar was charged with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession in the late 1990s. In 2004, he was stopped while reentering the country, which initiated deportation proceedings.
The attorney said the case was resolved in October 2007, when Zavvar was granted a withholding of removal order to Iran, allowing him to remain in the U.S. and continue working legally.
What People Are Saying
McLaughlin told Newsweek: "The Trump administration will not ignore the rule of law. Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S."
Reza Zavvar's sister, Maryam Zavvar, told NBC4 Washington: "I can't sleep at night, I just can't."
"We don't know why he's being held in a detention facility in Texas hundreds of miles away from us with criminals."
Bany Alavi, Reza Zavvar's friend, told NBC4 Washington: "He's everyone's favorite bud. You know that guy that you can just rely on, trust on."
What Happens Next
Zavvar's family told NBC4 Washington that the government has issued deportation orders to either Romania or Australia, without providing any explanation.
Update 07/18/25, 03:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from DHS.
