An Iranian grandmother who’s lived in the U.S. for nearly five decades is finally back home after a whirlwind immigration detention that left her neighbors, community leaders, and even members of Congress rallying for her release, reported CNN.
Mandonna “Donna” Kashanian, 64, was taken into custody by ICE agents last month while tending her garden outside her home in New Orleans. She’s lived in the U.S. since 1978, married an American, raised a family, and built a life that stretched across nearly half a century. Her husband and daughter are both U.S. citizens.
Her detention came as a shock, especially since her family says she had consistently followed immigration protocols by checking in regularly with authorities. Her attorney, Ken Mayeaux, confirmed she never missed an appointment, even after Hurricane Katrina forced her to relocate temporarily. That dedication didn’t seem to matter when ICE showed up.
That’s when her community stepped up. More than 100 neighbors wrote letters backing her up. Republican Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, who represents her district, described Kashanian as a “devoted mother and wife, a caretaker, neighbor and dedicated volunteer” for local causes like Habitat for Humanity and her school district.
Even neighbors who supported tough immigration policies sent letters to then-President Trump, saying Kashanian didn’t deserve to be swept up in all this and asking for compassion.
Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise also got involved. He represents Louisiana’s 1st Congressional District and said he asked the Department of Homeland Security to take another look at her case. “When she was picked up, we looked at it and said, ‘Are they really looking at it the right way, objectively?’” he told local outlet WDSU. “And so they took a second look at it.”
Her attorney called Scalise’s intervention “absolutely crucial” to getting her out. She was released earlier this week, though what comes next for her legal status is still unclear.
Despite all the public support, DHS isn’t backing down from its position. Spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Mandonna Kashanian is in this country illegally. She exhausted all her legal options.” According to ICE, she was supposed to leave the country back in 1992 when a judge ordered her deportation. “Shouldn’t be a surprise we came knocking,” the agency posted on X in June.
Kashanian originally came to the U.S. on a student visa and later applied for asylum due to her father’s ties to the U.S.-backed Shah of Iran. That bid was denied, but she was still allowed to stay under the condition she regularly checked in—which she did for decades.
Her husband, Russell Milne, met her in the 1980s when she was bartending as a student. He said his family is “extremely grateful” for the overwhelming community and political support. “She’s retirement age. She’s not a threat. Who picks up a grandmother?” he told the AP after she was detained.
Kashanian spent years making Persian cooking tutorials on YouTube and was known for showering local kids with attention. To neighbors, she wasn’t just someone who lived nearby—she was family.
But her story isn’t unique. Her attorney says many long-time residents are quietly being detained and deported, without the spotlight or political backing. “There is still a tremendous amount of heartache that is happening for people,” Mayeaux said. “The difference is they lived quiet lives and didn’t have access to political power to change the outcomes in their cases.”