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Iranian green card holder detained by ICE while walking dog near Gaithersburg home

Mar 27, 2026·Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Country of origin: Iran

Iranian green card holder detained by ICE while walking dog near Gaithersburg home
Photo via Instagram

Reza Zavvar, a 52-year-old Iranian green card holder who came to the U.S. as a student 40 years ago, was detained by ICE agents on June 28, 2025, while walking his dog near his Gaithersburg, Maryland home. Zavvar was granted withholding of removal to Iran in 2007 and has lived and worked legally in the U.S. for decades. He is currently held in a detention center in Texas and faces deportation. His family and attorney say they do not understand the legal basis for his detention. His case occurred as part of a surge in arrests of Iranian immigrants under the Trump administration's hardline immigration policies.

Timeline

Jun 28, 2025—Reza Zavvar detained by ICE agents while walking dog near his Gaithersburg home
Jun 28, 2025—Zavvar transferred to detention center in Texas; family seeks answers regarding legal basis for detention
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