Iranian man says ICE detention in NM is unlawful
In U.S. legally since 2024, Hamid Ziaei was jailed in June without explanation
YOUR SUNDAY, HERE ARE THE BIG THINGS THAT WE’RE FOLLOWING FOR YOU. FIRST, LET’S GET YOU BACK OUT OVER COREY HOWARD WITH YOUR KOAT WEATHER FORECAST. YEAH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I’M TAKING A LOOK AT, WE DID HAVE RECORD WARMTH YESTERDAY. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE BROKE A RECORD IN SEVERAL AREAS. ALBUQUERQUE ACTUALLY CAME WITHIN TWO DEGREES OF BREAKING A RECORD, BUT YOU CAN SEE AREAS SUCH AS ROSWELL MADE IT ALL THE WAY UP TO 81 DEGREES. NOW THEY ARE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FOR TODAY. THEY ARE GOING TO BE ABOUT 30 DEGREES COOLER. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATEWIDE MAP. YOU CAN SEE ROSWELL DOWN TO 51 DEGREES A LOT OF 50S AND 40 ALONG THE EASTERN BORDER OF THE STATE. SO WE DO HAVE A CHANGE IN THE FORECAST FOR THEM. NOW WHEN WE PUSH IT OVER TOWARD TOMORROW, THEY BEGIN TO WARM ON UP. AND TOMORROW IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A REBOUND DAY. WE’RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE BIT WARMER AND THEN WE’LL BE ON TRACK TO BREAK RECORDS AGAIN ONCE WE GET OVER TO WEDNESDAY. BUT FOR ALBUQUERQUE TODAY, WE SHOULD MAKE IT UP TO 59 DEGREES. THEN WE WARM UP ONCE AGAIN ON MONDAY UP INTO THE 60S, AND THEN BY THE TIME WE’RE OVER THERE THROUGH WEDNESDAY, WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES. PAYTON, BACK TO YOU. THANKS, CORY. AND THIS MORNING’S TOP STORIES. TWO U.S. SERVICE MEMBERS AND ONE AMERICAN CIVILIAN ARE DEAD AFTER AN ATTACK IN SYRIA, ACCORDING TO THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. OFFICIALS SAY THE DEAD INCLUDE TWO IOWA NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS AND A CIVILIAN INTERPRETER. PRESIDENT TRUMP IS BLAMING ISIS AND WARNING OF VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION, AS THE PENTAGON CONFIRMS THE ATTACK TARGETED U.S. FORCES INVOLVED IN A COUNTERTERRORISM OPERATION. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SIGNED THE FIRST EVER FEDERAL SCHOOL CHOICE PROGRAM INTO LAW, BUT STATES ARE NOW SPLIT ON WHETHER TO OPT IN. THE PLAN WOULD USE TAX CREDITS TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR PRIVATE EDUCATION AND OTHER LEARNING COSTS. STARTING IN 2027, SUPPORTERS SAY IT EXPANDS OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES, WHILE CRITICS WARN IT COULD DIVERT RESOURCES FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS. A DEADLY SHOOTING HAS SHAKEN BROWN UNIVERSITY IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. AUTHORITIES SAY TWO STUDENTS WERE KILLED AND NINE OTHERS WERE INJURED SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFTER FINAL EXAMS THIS MORNING, OFFICIALS HAVE CONFIRMED. A PERSON OF INTEREST IS IN CUSTODY AND A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER HAS BEEN LIFTED. CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS WITHOUT LOVED ONES IS ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FAMILIES GO THROUGH. JULIAN PARAS SHOWS US HOW THE NEW MEXICO CRUSADERS FOR JUSTICE IS TRYING TO LIFT UP THESE FAMILIES AFTER TRAGEDY. FOR THESE FAMILIES, THE HOLIDAYS ARE A LOT HARDER. HE WAS SO CHARISMATIC. HE WOULD LIGHT UP A ROOM AND MAKE FRIENDS EVERYWHERE HE WENT. FROM THE TIME THAT HE WAS YOUNG UNTIL HIS LAST DAYS. SUMMER WALKER IS TALKING ABOUT HER SON, ERIC. HE WAS MURDERED SIX YEARS AGO AT THE AGE OF 19. SUMMER AND OTHERS SAY DEALING WITH THIS TYPE OF GRIEF DURING THE HOLIDAYS IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE. IT’S LIKE AN ENTIRE PART OF US HAS BEEN RIPPED FROM OUR BODIES. THERE’S AN EMPTINESS THAT WE CARRY. AND SO HOLIDAYS ARE THE HARDEST, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY CHRISTMAS. MELISSA HERNANDEZ WORKS WITH EXPLORER ACADEMY AND IS A CHAPTER PRESIDENT FOR THE CRUSADERS FOR JUSTICE. HERNANDEZ AND OTHER CRUSADERS HELPED PUT TOGETHER A CHRISTMAS CARNIVAL FOR FAMILIES AT THIS CHAPTER SCHOOL LOCATION. THEY DID IT WITH THE HELP OF 17 STUDENTS. THEY WANTED TO GET INVOLVED AND SO I LET THEM KNOW THAT WE HAD A HOLIDAY EVENT COMING UP. I WAS TRYING TO FIND A PLACE TO HOST IT, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AN EVENT WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME TOGETHER AND FEEL LOVED AND SUPPORTED IS A VERY AMAZING THING FOR US TO DO. ORGANIZERS SAY ABOUT 100 FAMILIES CAME OUT. SOME WHO PARTICIPATED WERE ABLE TO SET UP TABLES TO HONOR THEIR MISSING LOVED ONES. IT’S JUST NICE TO HEAR THEIR NAME AND NEVER FORGET THEIR MEMORY. AND THAT’S WHY WE KEEP DOING IT. BECAUSE WE’RE NEVER GOING TO FORGET THEM, AND WE JUST WANT TO KEEP THEIR MEMORY ALIVE. ALTHOUGH THE HOLIDAYS REMIND THESE FAMILIES OF WHO THEY’RE MISSING, EVENTS LIKE THIS ALSO REMIND THEM OF THE FIGHT THEY TAKE ON EVERY DAY. TAKING FROM THIS. I TAKE THE STRENGTH AND THAT WE JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD. A FIGHT TO MAKE CHANGE FOR THE FUTURE OF FAMILIES JUST LIKE THEM. FOR KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS, I’M JULIAN PARAS. HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE BRACING BRACING FOR WHAT COULD BE A TOUGH VIRUS SEASON DRIVEN BY A NEW FLU VARIANT AND INCREASED HOLIDAY TRAVEL AND RSV. LAST YEAR, AN ESTIMATED 1 MILLION PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALIZED AND MORE THAN 70,000 DIED FROM THE FLU. HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY OF THE PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED WITH THE FLU LAST SEASON, ONLY ABOUT ONE THIRD HAD BEEN VACCINATED. THEY CONTINUE TO URGE PEOPLE TO GET THEIR SHOTS, SAYING EVEN IF YOU DO GET SICK, THAT VACCINE CAN HELP PREVENT SEVERE ILLNESS AND COMPLICATIONS. ABQ RIDE HAS ROLLED OUT NEW BUS ROUTES ACROSS ALBUQUERQUE AIMED AT IMPROVING SERVICE FOR RIDERS ACROSS THE CITY. IT IMPACTS NINE BUS ROUTES IN TOTAL, INCLUDING ROUTES FIVE, EIGHT, TEN AND 11. OFFICIALS SAY SOME BUSSES WILL NOW ARRIVE EVERY 30 MINUTES, MAKING SERVICE MORE FREQUENT DURING THE WEEK. THERE’S ALSO A NEW SUNDAY SERVICE ON SELECT ROUTES, WITH BUSSES RUNNING EVERY 60 MINUTES. YOU CAN CHECK YOUR IF YOUR ROUTE MAY HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY VISITING ABQ RIDE.COM. NOW IT’S SHAPING UP TO BE A REALLY NICE DAY. WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS? MY PLAN IS TO GET SOME SLEEP. I’M GONNA GO RIGHT OVER HERE. ANY ANY FOOTBALL OR FOOTBALL? I’M IN A LITTLE FANTASY PLAYOFFS, SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A MATCHUP TODAY. I’M ALREADY UP. HOW’S YOUR TEAM LOOKING? MY TEAM’S. ALL MY TEAMS MADE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS, SO I’M HAPPY ABOUT THAT. AND I’M HOPING TO GET PAID HERE IN THE NEXT THREE ABOUT THREE WEEKS FOR ONE OF THEM FOR THE LEAGUES. I COULD DEFINITELY USE THE MONEY. YOU KNOW, IT’S HOLIDAY TIME. YEAH, I KNOW EVERYONE’S LIKE BUSY SHOPPING. I WILL SAY I WAS AT WINROCK YESTERDAY. OKAY. PARKING LOT WAS ABSOLUTELY PACKED. YEAH. SO IF YOU ARE DOING YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING TODAY, MAKE SURE TO PACK YOUR PATIENCE BECAUSE IT’S BUSY OUT THERE. WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU? I’M THE PERSON. DON’T PARK NEXT TO ME, SO I TRY TO FIND A SPOT AND AWAY FROM PEOPLE. YEAH, I HAD THE HARDEST TIME. RIGHT NOW I’M THE SAME WAY. WELL, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. ACTION 7 NEWS IS GOING TO BE BACK HERE AT FIVE. THANKS FOR JOINING US. WE HOP
Iranian man says ICE detention in NM is unlawful
In U.S. legally since 2024, Hamid Ziaei was jailed in June without explanation
In 2024, Hamid Ziaei came from Iran to the U.S. and was detained.Soon after, an immigration judge said that because Ziaei would likely face persecution if he returned to Iran, he could stay here under certain conditions, and he settled into a life in San Diego, an Innovation Law Lab news release said.In a regularly scheduled check-in in June, the judge’s decision was ignored, and Ziaei was held without explanation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and taken to the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico.On Monday, Dec. 15, Ziaei and legal counsel will be in federal court in Albuquerque with a habeas corpus petition asserting that he has been detained unlawfully. Tiffany Wang, a fellow attorney at Innovation Law Lab — which is representing Ziaei — said the best outcome would be an immediate decision allowing him to return to his home in California. The judge could also want more time to decide, or could consider having Ziaei deported to another country. No such country has been named, and returning him to Iran is not allowed, Wang said.”I think it’s important to understand that so many people just like Hamid have been building lives in the U.S., contributing, and have been indiscriminately swept away by ICE, shipped hundreds of miles away from the communities and everything they were doing,” Wang said. “There are procedures that ICE must follow, and they have completely thrown those out the window. And we’re fighting against that.”.
In 2024, Hamid Ziaei came from Iran to the U.S. and was detained.
Soon after, an immigration judge said that because Ziaei would likely face persecution if he returned to Iran, he could stay here under certain conditions, and he settled into a life in San Diego, an Innovation Law Lab news release said.
In a regularly scheduled check-in in June, the judge’s decision was ignored, and Ziaei was held without explanation by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and taken to the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico.
On Monday, Dec. 15, Ziaei and legal counsel will be in federal court in Albuquerque with a habeas corpus petition asserting that he has been detained unlawfully.
Tiffany Wang, a fellow attorney at Innovation Law Lab — which is representing Ziaei — said the best outcome would be an immediate decision allowing him to return to his home in California. The judge could also want more time to decide, or could consider having Ziaei deported to another country. No such country has been named, and returning him to Iran is not allowed, Wang said.
“I think it’s important to understand that so many people just like Hamid have been building lives in the U.S., contributing, and have been indiscriminately swept away by ICE, shipped hundreds of miles away from the communities and everything they were doing,” Wang said. “There are procedures that ICE must follow, and they have completely thrown those out the window. And we’re fighting against that.”
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