Gay Iranian Man, 24, Risks Death by Deportation

Several students staged a May 17 sit-in at Sen. John McCain's home state office in Arizona, in the wake of an anti-immigrant law enacted recently in that state. But for one young man, 24-year-old Mohammad Abdollahi, that act of civil disobedience could mean deportation--and possible imprisonment, torture, even death. Abdollahi is gay, and he's from Iran.

Though he is an undocumented immigrant, Abdollahi has lived in the United States since he was three years old, reported The Detroit News on May 20. The young man's family came to America on the strength of his father's student visa; when the visa ran out, the family stayed. For Abdollahi to participate in the office sit-in posed a risk of which the young man was fully aware, but if it means that a bill that would reform immigration policy is passed, he says, the danger to his well being and his life is worth it.

Iranian gays are among the world's most persecuted LGBTs. Islamic sharia law prescribes severe penalties for a range of sexual "offenses" including adultery, same-sex intimacy, and even masturbation; life for gays in Iran is so difficult that an "underground railway" has been setup to help them escape to freedom. Many Iranian gays escape to Turkey, a relatively secular nation where they are not in such extreme danger.

"His safety and well-being would be in immediate jeopardy if he is returned to Iran," Immigration Equality spokesperson Steve Ralls said. "It is a notorious homophobic country where lesbians and gays routinely face torture, violence and even execution. It is among the most dangerous countries on the globe for lesbian and gay people."

Because Abdollahi has been in the country so long, it will be difficult for him to obtain asylum, even though the fact that he is gay would almost certainly place him in grave danger if he's deported back to Iran. Said Ralls, "His case presents some challenges. It is a high bar to meet but it is not an impossible one."

For children like Abdollahi, who come to the United States with their parents and then overstay their visas, immigration reform could mean the difference between a fresh start and being punished for circumstances over which they had no control. A bill called the DREAM Act could reform part of the nation's immigration policy and open the door for youths in such a position.

That's what Abdollahi is hoping will come to pass, and why he's willing to place himself in harm's way. Deportation to a highly homophobic country is "a worry," he told the press. "But if we can get the DREAM Act passed it would help so many lives, it would be worth it. I have seen too many friends get deported."