Tunisian man, married to hospital doctor, recounts 13 days in ICE custody
Jul 13, 2025·Location: Los Angeles, CA
Country of origin: Tunisia

Rami Othmane, a 36-year-old Tunisian man married to Dr. Wafaa Alrashid, chief medical officer at Pasadena's Huntington Hospital, was arrested by ICE agents on July 13 while driving to a grocery store in Pasadena. Alrashid witnessed the arrest over FaceTime and followed his location by car. He was held for 13 days at the downtown L.A. ICE facility despite a settlement requiring detainees be held no more than 12 hours, describing conditions including an open toilet, concrete floor sleeping, no toothbrush, minimal food, and extreme cold while suffering from a brain tumor. Othmane has lived in the U.S. since 2015; his prior deportation order was dismissed in 2020, and he and Alrashid married in March 2025 and filed for a green card. After his transfer to an Arizona detention center and 13 additional days there, he was released on bail with an ankle monitor.
Sources
- 'I am not the same person.' Pasadena man recounts 13 days in ICE's 'basement'
Los Angeles Times·Sep 11, 2025·archived copy
- A Tunisian musician was detained in LA after living in US for a decade. His doctor wife speaks out
Associated Press·Aug 2, 2025·archived copy
- billboard.com
- abc7.com
- english.ahram.org.eg
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