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A University of Oklahoma professor who was detained by ICE while boarding a flight to an academic conference in Washington, D.C., has been released after two days of detention for what ICE described as a “standard interrogation.”
Vahid Abedini is the Farzaneh Family Assistant Professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Oklahoma, where he studies international relations and comparative politics. Abedini was taken into custody on Saturday, Nov. 22, and posted on LinkedIn early Tuesday morning that he had been released.
“I am relieved to share that I have been released from custody tonight,” Abedini posted around 2 a.m. Tuesday. “It was a very painful experience, especially seeing people not receive the support I received. I am deeply grateful to my friends and colleagues at the University of Oklahoma, the Middle East Studies Association, and the broader Iranian studies and political science community for helping me resolve this issue.”
An anonymous ICE spokesperson confirmed Abedini’s release in an email.
“The Iranian national was detained for routine interrogation,” the statement said.
Joshua Landis, a professor of Middle East studies at OU, previously told The Oklahoman that Abedini is in the U.S. on an H-1B visa. This type of visa is reserved for individuals employed in professions such as technology, education, and healthcare.
In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation requiring employers seeking to bring new workers to the United States on H-1B visas to pay $100,000 for each application. Workers will be denied entry to the United States unless payment is made.
