Taking no chances
U.S. detains 130 Iranians over suspected links to terror plots
ICE targets possible sleeper cells in sweeping arrests following military action against Iran.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained 130 Iranian nationals across the United States last week, amid fears of the activation of dormant terrorist cells following U.S. strikes in Iran.
A total of 670 Iranians are now in custody, as reported by Fox News. According to the report, some of the detained Iranians have criminal records, including drug offenses, weapons, and domestic violence. At least one of them served as a sniper in the Islamic Republic's army in recent years.
Senior officials in the Trump administration and the U.S. national security system have recently warned about the danger that infiltrators or illegal residents from Iran, including those with ties to Hezbollah or the Revolutionary Guards, may operate within U.S. territory.
Under U.S. law, illegal residents can be deported to third countries even if there are no diplomatic relations with them – which may affect the ongoing proceedings against the detained Iranians.