Surfer Released After 4 Months in Immigration Detention
Jan 28, 2026·Location: San Diego, CA
Country of origin: Lebanon

Hagop Chirinian, a non-citizen surfer, was released after being detained for four months following an accidental trespass onto Camp Pendleton beach. A federal judge ordered ICE to release him, ruling the agency violated its own protocols by detaining him despite knowing he could not be deported, as Lebanon refused to accept him. Chirinian had been living under an order of supervision with a work permit for nearly 30 years without additional convictions.
Sources
- Surfer released after 4 months in immigration detention
KPBS·Jan 28, 2026·archived copy
- Why a Surfer Spent 4 Months in ICE Detention for Wandering Onto the Wrong Beach
theinertia.com·Mar 10, 2026·archived copy
- Miami Herald
- ICE arrested a surfer after he accidentally ended up on a Camp Pendleton beach
KPBS·Dec 29, 2025·archived copy
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