Shabnam Maleki, an Iranian Christian asylum seeker, faces detention by ICE, hindering her ability to secure asylum. Learn about her story, the persecution of Christians in Iran, and the challenges of the U.S. immigration system.
Newsroom (27/08/2025, Gaudium Press ) On June 22, 2025, the bombing of Iran’s nuclear refinement facilities triggered a wave of detentions of Iranian asylum seekers by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Among them is Shabnam Maleki, a member of a church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Her detention highlights a broader issue: the severe challenges asylum seekers face in navigating the U.S. immigration system, particularly when detained, which significantly hinders their ability to secure legal representation and resources critical to winning their claims. For Shabnam, this is a matter of life and death.
Shabnam’s journey began in Iran, where, as a young girl, she questioned the restrictive interpretations of Islamic law enforced by the regime, which stifled her talents and ambitions. At 21, she stumbled upon a Bible verse in an English-language magazine at her dentist’s office, sparking her curiosity. This led her to an underground church, where she embraced Christianity. Her father, upon discovering her secret attendance, beat her and threatened to report her and the church to the authorities, who could execute them for apostasy. To protect her friends, Shabnam stopped attending but continued her faith in private, praying daily and seeking Bible verses online.
In May 2022, Shabnam’s employer sent her to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) for research, sponsored by a visa. She was baptized at a local church, a milestone she shared with a friend in Iran. Tragically, this friend betrayed her, informing Shabnam’s father, who reported her conversion and the underground church to the Iranian government. The consequences were devastating: the church was raided, one man was killed, and a woman was raped and murdered. Shabnam’s father disowned her, vowing to kill her, and in July 2022, Tehran’s chief justice declared her an apostate, ordering her employer to deliver her for trial in Iran, where she faced arrest upon return.
The persecution of Christians in Iran is well-documented. According to a 2023 article from Gaudium Press “Christian converts in Iran face severe repercussions, including imprisonment, torture, and execution.” The case of Laleh Saati, who was arrested, interrogated, and sentenced to two years in prison upon returning to Iran after failing to secure asylum in Malaysia, underscores this reality. Similarly, Gaudium Press reported in 2020 on Jimmy Al-Daoud, a Chaldean Christian deported from Michigan to Iran, where he died after being denied insulin, highlighting the dire consequences of deportation for Christian converts.
Fearing for her life, Shabnam applied for asylum in the U.S. with the help of an attorney. The Department of Homeland Security permitted her to remain pending her application and authorized her to work. She took a job in the hospitality industry, where her kindness and work ethic shone. However, on July 3, 2025, ICE detained her, forcing her to await her asylum decision in a detention center.
Detention severely undermines asylum seekers’ ability to build a robust case. A 2021 Gaudium Press article noted that detained immigrants face substandard medical care, inadequate rest, and limited access to legal counsel, reducing their chances of success. Statistics confirm this: non-detained immigrants with legal representation are five times more likely to obtain relief than detained counterparts. Shabnam, fortunately, has competent legal representation, but her detention remains a profound injustice.
The threat to Shabnam is undeniable. Iran’s government has explicitly targeted her for apostasy, a crime punishable by death. Even if imprisoned rather than executed, she would face her father’s lethal vendetta upon release. Deportation to a third country would also be devastating, uprooting her from the community she has built in Colorado Springs, where she actively participates at church, attending Sunday services, fellowshipping weekly, and volunteering in the children’s ministry. Her formal membership in June 2025 underscores her commitment.
Shabnam’s story is not unique. Earlier this year, Donna Kashanian, another Iranian Christian, was detained under similar circumstances. Thanks to advocacy from her community and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, she was released, as reported by Gaudium Press in 2025. Yet countless others lack such support and face deportation to uncertain fates.
As Christians, we are called to advocate for our brothers and sisters facing persecution. Asylum seekers like Shabnam, fleeing religious oppression, should not be detained while their cases are pending. They deserve the freedom to access legal representation and resources to present the strongest possible case. When lives hang in the balance, our duty is clear: we must stand with Shabnam and others like her, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights upheld.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from First Things
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