{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases/ansari-celebrates-asylum-of-artemis-ghasemzadeh-iranian-christian-convert-deported-to-panama-by-trump-admin", "Ansari Celebrates Asylum of Artemis Ghasemzadeh, Iranian Christian convert deported to Panama by Trump Admin", "2026-08-25", "2026", "2026-08", "Democrat", "House", "AZ", "Yassamin Ansari", "A000381", "ansari.house.gov", "ansari", "https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Artemis Ghasemzadeh fled the Islamic Republic of Iran due to religious persecution; was denied asylum in the U.S.\n\nWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, the New York Times reported that Artemis Ghasemzadeh, an Iranian Christian convert who was deported to Panama by the Trump Administration after seeking asylum in the United States, had been granted asylum in Canada. Last May, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) introduced the Artemis Act, legislation to protect due process by preventing individuals from facing expedited removal from the U.S. if they are nationals of or would be deported to countries designated by the State Department as engaging in severe violations of religious freedom. The bill was named for Ghasemzadeh.\n\n\u201cThe very small part my team and I played in today\u2019s news is one of the most moving changes I\u2019ve been humbled to be a part of in my entire career in public service; I am relieved, elated, hopeful, and moved by the kindness of the human spirit and the courage of Artemis,\u201d said Rep. Ansari. \u201cBut none of this should have happened in the first place. Artemis was denied the due process afforded to asylum seekers by law, and returning to the Islamic Republic of Iran would have meant immediate, and likely deadly, danger for her, both as a woman and a Christian convert. My hope is that Artemis\u2019 story, and our legislation, helps ensures that the nightmare she endured never happens to anyone else.\u201d\n\nToday\u2019s Times\u2019 reporting reads, in part, \u201cIn May 2025, Representative Yassamin Ansari, a Democrat from Arizona who is Iranian American, introduced legislation in Congress called the Artemis Act. The bill sought to prohibit the expedited removal of individuals fleeing countries that the State Department says persecute religious minorities and to ensure they have the chance to claim asylum in a U.S. immigration court. The legislation had widespread support from Democrats but faced opposition from Republicans, who hold the majority in the House.\u201d\n\nLast year, Ms. Ghasemzadeh, who speaks fluent English, was not given the required \u201ccredible fear\u201d interview offered to those seeking asylum. She was denied access to counsel, separated from her brother with whom she immigrated, told she was being moved to Texas from California, and instead put on a military aircraft to Panama.\n\n\u201cAs a Christian convert fleeing danger, I trusted the United States would embrace me, offering safety to practice my faith freely,\u201d said Ms. Ghasemzadeh last year. \u201cDespite warnings, I arrived, confident in America\u2019s welcome. But being sent to Panama without a chance to plead my case shattered my dream of America. I hope one day it will again be a sanctuary for those seeking religious freedom.\u201d\n\nWATCH Ansari and Ms. Ghasemzadeh on a video call HERE.\n\nView text of the legislation HERE.\n\nAdditionally, Ansari led a number of her colleagues in sending a letter to then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requiring clarifications on DHS policies on due process, protection for vulnerable groups, agreements with third-party countries taking U.S. deportees, and human rights considerations. This followed her April 2025 trip to El Salvador, in which she attempted to check on the welfare and status of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident who was deported by the Trump Administration without due process.\n\nThe letter was signed by Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Henry C. \"Hank\" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Nydia M. Vel\u00e1zquez (NY-07), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), J. Luis Correa (CA-46), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20).\n\nSupport for the letter:\n\n\u201cDeporting immigrants, including Asian immigrants, to countries other than their own without due process is outrageous and unlawful,\u201d said Martin Kim, Director of Immigration Advocacy at Asian Americans Advancing Justice. \u201cThese deportations to countries like Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Libya, which in some cases occurred despite court orders explicitly forbidding them, should be concerning to everyone, not just the immigrant community. We thank Rep. Ansari and her colleagues for demanding answers about this practice from the Department of Homeland Security and the Trump Administration.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe most fundamental principle of international refugee law, established in the aftermath of the world\u2019s failures during the Holocaust, is that countries must not send people to countries where they risk persecution,\u201d said Noah Gottschalk, VP of International Policy & Advocacy at Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. \u201cWe must ensure that this principle is not violated today.\u201d\n\n\u201cStop AAPI Hate condemns the Trump administration's reckless deportations of vulnerable migrants - including children, pregnant women, and religious minorities - to third countries where they face serious threats to their safety, dignity, and human rights,\u201d said Stop AAPI Hate. \u201cAs members of communities that have experienced displacement and persecution, we know the devastating cost of being abandoned. The U.S. must not repeat those mistakes. We thank Congresswoman Ansari and her colleagues for leading this important oversight effort to seek transparency on these harmful, dehumanizing policies.\u201d\n\nView the full letter HERE and below:\n\nDear Secretary Noem,\n\nWe write to express our deep concern regarding recent reports of U.S. deportations involving\n\nimmigrants being sent to third countries, such as El Salvador, Costa Rica and Panama, especially\n\nthose from countries where they face significant risks of persecution, exploitation, or other harm.\n\nGiven the gravity of these reports, we respectfully request clarification on the policies and\n\npractices of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that U.S. actions align our\n\nobligations under U.S. and international law.\n\nLegal and Human Rights Considerations\n\n1. How many individuals have been deported by the U.S. government to third countries\n\nsince January 20, 2025? To what third countries have they been deported? What are the\n\ndeported individuals\u2019 countries of origin?\n\n2. What criteria was used to identify individuals for deportation to third countries such as El\n\nSalvador, Costa Rica and Panama?\n\n3. Did Customs and Border Protection (CBP) provide the deported individuals with\n\nmeaningful opportunities to claim asylum or other forms of humanitarian relief before\n\ndeportation? What protocols were followed to ensure compliance with US and\n\ninternational law?\n\n4. Given recent reports that Panama has released some of the detained migrants with\n\ntemporary humanitarian permits, what steps is DHS taking to ensure that these\n\nindividuals are not placed in further danger? [1] Has DHS engaged in any discussions with\n\nPanamanian officials regarding their legal status and protection moving forward?\n\n5. How does this practice of deporting immigrants on flights to third countries in Central\n\nAmerica align with the United States\u2019 obligations under domestic and international\n\nhuman rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the U.S.\n\nfrom returning individuals to places where they may face harm, and indirect non-\n\nrefoulement, which prohibits the U.S. from putting individuals at risk through removal to\n\na third country?\n\n6. What assurances does DHS have that Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, or any other third\n\ncountry with which deportation agreements exist, meet the standard in U.S. law for a\n\n\u201csafe third country\u201d and are able to provide access to a full and fair procedure for\n\nadjudicating an asylum claim or other humanitarian protection?\n\n7. The New York Times reports that individuals deported to Panama include children and\n\nwomen fleeing the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, and Christian converts fleeing the\n\nIslamic Republic of Iran. [2] Given that deportees face risks such as arbitrary detention,\n\npersecution, or even death in their home countries, what assurances can DHS provide that\n\nthey will not be sent back to face certain danger?\n\nDue Process and Protection for Vulnerable Groups\n\n1. How many of the individuals deported on the flights since January 20, 2025, were\n\nchildren? Were any of the children unaccompanied minors? Were any of the children\n\nseparated from their family members before, during, or after their deportation to a third\n\ncountry? Were any of these children undergoing medical treatments in the United States,\n\nsuch as for cancer?\n\n2. How many of the individuals were pregnant women or individuals suffering from serious\n\nhealth issues? What is being done to ensure that these individuals receive adequate care\n\nafter being deported?\n\n3. What safeguards are in place to prevent deportations that may expose children and other\n\nvulnerable individuals to physical danger, trafficking, or exploitation?\n\nInternational Cooperation and Agreements\n\n1. What agreements, if any, exist between DHS and the governments of El Salvador, Costa\n\nRica and Panama or any other third countries regarding the deportation or reception of\n\nImmigrants?\n\n2. Does DHS intend to continue this deportation practice to third countries? If so, what\n\nmeasures will be implemented to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection\n\nof affected individuals?\n\nThank you for your attention to this important issue. We look forward to your prompt and\n\nthorough response to these critical questions.\n\nFollow @RepYassAnsari on all social media platforms and visit Ansari.House.gov to learn more.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-01T09:48:49Z", "2026-09-01T09:49:51Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://ansari.house.gov/media/press-releases/ansari-celebrates-asylum-of-artemis-ghasemzadeh-iranian-christian-convert-deported-to-panama-by-trump-admin"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6989570576697588, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}