On February 6, 2026, the President made a promise to those gathered for the National Prayer Breakfast. “While I’m in the White House, we will protect Christians in our schools, in our military, in our government, in our workplaces, hospitals and in our public squares.” The President repeated that commitment in a speech before the “Faith and Freedom Coalition” conference on June 26, 2026.

I guess some Christians just aren’t “Christian enough” to qualify for protection–specifically Iranian Christians.

Christianity is officially recognized by the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, it is against the law to conduct Christian worship in Farsi, and converting to Christianity from Islam or attempting to convert others is punishable by steep fines, lengthy prison sentences, interrogations and even execution. Because of the ongoing persecution of converts, many Iranian Christians have come to the United States, seeking asylum. One of them, Artemis Ghasemzadeh, was able escape on a multi-national journey that began in Dubai and ended at the US border in Tijuana, hoping to apply for asylum. Instead, she was detained at the border for entering the country illegally, and placed in a detention center despite her pleas for asylum. A DHS spokesperson insists that she never expressed fear of returning to her home country. Then she was put on a flight (supposedly to Texas) in March 2025, Upon disembarkation, she discovered that she was in Panama! She was placed in a detention center near the notorious Darian Gap in Panama. She was not alone. On the flight to Panama were other Iranian Christians — also converts from Islam — just like her. Fifteen months later, her condition and location are uncertain.

Since March 2025, more Iranians have been deported, some to Panama, and others to Costa Rica. Most recently, DHS sent 2 dozen people to the Central African Republic — including an Iranian woman who had converted to Christianity — on June 11, 2026. She should count herself lucky. Others have been sent back to Iran. Yes. BACK TO IRAN!

On September 29, 2025, 120 Iranians were flown from the US to Tehran, the capital of Iran, under a deal between the State Department and Iran. Included in the group were Christian converts, members of other minority religions and political dissidents. Evangelical pastor, Rev. Ara Torosian — an Iranian-born American — reported on his Facebook page that “when the plane landed in Tehran, Iranian state media was already waiting. Refugees were lined up, searched, and their belongings seized. Particularly alarming was the targeting of 10-15 Christian converts, who were forced to display their Bibles and crosses on camera while being interrogated.” The report continued, “They were then separated into individual rooms where they were coerced into making video confessions, statements discrediting their conversions, claiming they were misled by pastors, and admitting they had sought Christianity merely to gain asylum. These staged confessions are expected to be broadcast soon by Iranian state television as part of propaganda against both Christianity and the United States.”

A second flight in December 2025 returned 54 Iranians to Tehran, and a third flight on January 26, 2026, returned 14 more.

About 200 Iranians remain in detention awaiting deportation. Ironically, the only thing delaying their deportation to Iran is a war. But flights to other countries will likely continue and ICE will target more of our Iranian brothers and sisters in Christ. Obviously, they just aren’t Christian enough to protect.