A California man is refusing to remove his pro-Trump flag, even after ICE detained his wife, an Iranian immigrant, from their home.
Arpineh Masihi, who moved to the U.S. as a young child fleeing Iran, was taken by immigration officers from their Diamond Bar home on June 30. Despite being a long-time U.S. resident and a vocal Trump supporter, Masihi was swept up in a crackdown targeting Iranian nationals.
Her husband, Arthu Sahakyan, told Fox 11 that ICE showed up at their house—where a large “Keep America Great” Trump flag proudly hangs—and took Masihi into custody. Before being taken away, she kissed her children goodbye, and they haven’t seen her since.
The family is not just politically active, but ardent Trump supporters. “We supported Trump in the last election. We gave our kids MAGA hats. We wave the flag,” Sahakyan said. Yet, even with their clear political alignment, ICE still came for them.
Masihi, now in her 40s, came to the U.S. when she was 3. However, around 15 years ago, her green card was revoked due to a theft conviction. Since then, she’s been working to regain her legal status while regularly checking in with immigration authorities. Everything appeared to be fine until U.S.-Iran tensions escalated again. Just days after the U.S. bombed Iranian nuclear sites on June 21, Masihi was detained, along with over 130 other Iranian nationals.
While clearly missing his wife, Sahakyan says he still supports the government’s actions. “I’m very for the U.S. vetting Iranian nationals because of the sleeper cells,” he told Fox 11. “I think it will resolve a lot of issues… even though I miss her dearly.”
As for his stance on Trump, Sahakyan is still supportive. “Trump is not trying to do anything bad,” he said. “He wants the best for the country. I’m just trying to make the best of it.”
Masihi, now facing the uncertainty of being transferred to another detention facility, is growing concerned about her future. She tearfully spoke with Fox 11, saying, “I’m on the list to be going to a different facility.”
Despite everything, Sahakyan remains firm. Friends have urged him to take down the Trump flag, but he refuses. “I’m still supporting Trump,” he said. “Even though my friends say, ‘Take the flag down, you’re going through a lot,’ I’m like, ‘No, the flag stands.’”