Dashcam footage released by Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) on 22/7 shows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stopping 38-year-old orthopedic surgeon Mahdi Khanbabazadeh as he was driving his son to Guidepost Montessori preschool in Beaverton, Oregon.
The incident occurred at 8:17 a.m. on 15/7. OPB blurred the faces of Mahdi and his young son, who was in the back seat.
"Dad, police," the child exclaimed as masked agents approached, demanding Mahdi roll down the window and show his identification. "Yes, it's the police," Mahdi replied while retrieving his documents.
"Where are you going?", an agent asked. "Preschool," Mahdi answered. Guidepost Montessori offers classes from preschool through elementary school.
The video then cuts to 8:32 a.m., showing Mahdi trying to persuade ICE agents to postpone his arrest. "There is a child in the car. Is it too much to ask for three minutes?", he pleaded.
The video cuts again and resumes at 8:42 a.m., with an ICE agent attempting to break the car window. By this time, the child was no longer in the vehicle.
"We told you three times. Take your seatbelt off and get out of the car," an agent said.
Another video taken from outside the car shows Mahdi being handcuffed and taken away. "I am Iranian. I am a doctor," he shouted. The witness filming the scene complained that the masked agents did not identify themselves or their agency.
In a statement the following day, ICE said agents initially planned to arrest Mahdi during the traffic stop but decided to allow him to take his son to school first.
According to an ICE spokesperson, "Agents allowed Mahdi to reach the school parking lot, but he then became uncooperative, resisted, and refused to leave the vehicle, forcing agents to break a window to complete the arrest."
ICE declined to comment on the newly released videos. It's unclear what was said during the omitted portions of the footage.
This is the first time ICE agents have made an arrest outside a school in Oregon. Federal law previously prohibited ICE arrests near certain locations, such as schools, churches, and hospitals, but the Trump administration rescinded this policy.
Mahdi is currently being held at an ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington. He was born in Iran and is married to a U.S. citizen.
According to ICE, Mahdi entered the U.S. on a student visa and overstayed, violating immigration laws. His family disputes this, stating he completed his green card application, including interviews with federal immigration officials earlier this year, and was awaiting final approval.
The incident has shocked the Beaverton community. Many local residents and politicians, including Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty and Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, have criticized ICE's actions.
The Trump administration has recently intensified its crackdown on undocumented immigrants, with ICE playing a key role. Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller stated that ICE should aim to arrest at least 3,000 immigrants daily.
This pressure has led to large-scale ICE raids in various locations, particularly in Democrat-led cities. On 21/7, Tom Homan, a senior immigration policy advisor to President Trump, announced he would deploy numerous ICE agents to New York City, accusing it of being a "sanctuary city" for undocumented immigrants.
Duc Trung (_OPB, Guardian, AP_)
