A California man says he’s keeping his Trump flag flying high—despite his wife being detained and deported by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week.
Arthur Sahakyan and his wife, Arpineh Masihi, have been devoted Trump supporters, proudly backing his “Make America Great Again” campaign. They displayed Trump flags outside their home, wore MAGA hats with their children, and supported the former president in past elections.
But their loyalty didn’t shield them from the reach of Trump’s immigration policies. On June 30, ICE agents showed up at their Diamond Bar home in Los Angeles County and took Arpineh into custody. Despite the emotional toll, Arthur says he has no plans to take down his MAGA flag. “No, the flag stands,” he told Fox 11.
Arpineh, who came to the U.S. from Iran as a refugee when she was just three years old, had her green card revoked roughly 15 years ago following a minor theft conviction that her husband claims involved less than $200. Since then, she had been checking in regularly with immigration authorities, hoping to regain her legal status. She was reportedly told at a recent appointment to return in October.
However, after recent U.S. military strikes on Iran, immigration officials began detaining Iranian nationals over national security concerns. Arpineh was among over 130 people swept up in the crackdown.
Surveillance footage from the family’s home shows Arpineh speaking with ICE agents and appearing visibly upset before going inside to say goodbye to her children. “She came and kissed the kids, and that was it,” Arthur recounted. “That was the last time we saw her.”
One of the couple’s sons, who proudly wore a MAGA hat last year, was seen crying in a Fox 11 segment as his mother was taken away.
Despite the ordeal, Arthur said he still supports Trump’s tough stance on immigration, though he admits the experience has slightly changed his perspective. “Somewhat it has, just because I’m going through it,” he said. “I was very selfish before. But now I see—there’s a reason for it.”
Arthur continued to defend the administration’s actions, saying, “Detaining people like my wife will resolve a lot of issues because we’ll know exactly who’s here and why. Even though I miss her dearly.”
As for the former president, Sahakyan insists he still believes in his intentions. “Trump is not trying to do anything bad. We understand what he’s doing. He wants the best for the country.”
Masihi’s future remains uncertain as she awaits transfer to another detention facility, according to reports.
