Pastor Expresses Shock, Claims ICE Arrested Iranian 'Christian Asylum Seekers' Attending His Church

Billy Hallowell : Jul 11, 2025
Faithwire

"I'm trying to be [a] voice for Iranian refugees. There's thousands of Iranian refugees around the world that are waiting, especially in Turkey and in [the] US." -Pastor Ara Torosian

[Faithwire.com] A Christian pastor is speaking out after claiming federal agents detained Iranian-born members of his congregation. (Screengrab image: via CBN News)

Pastor Ara Torosian of Cornerstone Church in West LA, spoke with CBN News about the incidents, which unfolded last month and reportedly included authorities detaining an Iranian couple with their 3-year-old child; the family is reportedly seeking asylum.

Torosian, a legal citizen who came to the US as a refugee from Iran in 2010, said he believes immigrants and those coming to the US as refugees must "respect the law"—a lesson he imparts to his parishioners.

However, he said the recent detainments he witnessed left him stunned.

"A family member of our church came to me and said, ‘We have [an] appointment tomorrow at immigration federal building in downtown Los Angeles. Shall we go or not?'" he recalled. "As a pastor ... I teach them ... you have to respect the law. You have to follow the rules and everything, and respect and to be a good citizen from [the] beginning of your arrival in the US"

So, the couple brought their 3-year-old child with them to the office building, where he said they were detained. Once made aware of the situation, Torosian said he arrived at the site as quickly as possible, but was unable to assist:

"I was very devastated to see," he said, noting the family, who reportedly arrived in America in Oct. 2024, are "Christian asylum seekers." He said they have paperwork and have followed the rules, leaving him perplexed as to what unfolded.

"Usually, they go to kind of update their address, and that's the process of showing themself in the office to see what they're doing ... following paperwork and signatures that they are here," Torosian said of the typical visits to ICE that unfold. "That's a regular for asylum seekers. They have the document and they're waiting for the court day and follow-up things."

He said the wife was part of the underground Christian church in Iran and that they came to the US to escape and find religious liberty.

At the time of Torosian's conversation with CBN News last week, he was unsure what would happen to the couple and if deportation would unfold. A follow-up email seeking an update has yet to yield a response... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Continue reading, and watch the video interview Here.