Immigration Judge Grants Asylum to California Woman Adopted from Iran in 1970s
A federal immigration judge ruled that a 56-year-old California woman qualifies as a refugee and is entitled to work authorization. The decision came after officials initiated removal proceedings earlier this year over a visa overstay that occurred when she was four.
Military.comA federal immigration judge granted asylum to a California woman adopted from Iran in the 1970s after officials threatened her with deportation earlier this year. The woman, now 56, was orphaned in Iran and brought to the United States by American adoptive parents in 1973.
She has lived in the country continuously since then, holds a Social Security card and driver's license, and has worked in healthcare for nearly two decades without a criminal record.
Officials sent her a letter in February ordering her to appear for removal proceedings, citing an overstay of a visa that occurred when she was four years old. She was fingerprinted, provided a DNA sample, and required to wear an ankle monitor while the case proceeded.
Her attorney said the government had authority to recognize her as a citizen but instead treated her as subject to removal. The woman described the process as humiliating and prepared for possible detention by arranging her finances and home access in advance.
The judge ruled that the woman qualifies as a refugee and is entitled to work authorization. The decision places her on a pathway to citizenship recognition. The Associated Press reported on her situation in 2024 as part of coverage about international adoptees left without citizenship due to gaps between adoption and immigration procedures.
Her adoptive parents have since died. >"Instead they treated her like a terrorist, like she was the worst of the worst criminals. " — Emily Howe, attorney The Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the individual case. The ruling is subject to possible government appeal.
