BEAVERTON, Ore. — A newly released video shows ICE agents arresting 38-year-old Mahdi Khanbabazadeh outside his child’s preschool in Beaverton, Oregon, sparking outrage from parents and community leaders.
The incident happened on July 15 after agents pulled Khanbabazadeh over during a traffic stop. He was allowed to continue to Guidepost Montessori to drop off his child, but as he arrived, officers surrounded his vehicle.
Surveillance footage and dashcam clips show him pleading with agents—“There is a baby in the car, is it hard to wait for three minutes?”—before officers broke the driver’s-side window and took him into custody
ICE claims Khanbabazadeh overstayed a student visa and refused to comply. His family says he’s married to a U.S. citizen, has no criminal record, and recently completed his green card interview.
The incident marks the first confirmed ICE arrest at an Oregon school since recent policy changes lifting previous restrictions on enforcement near schools. Witnesses, including parents and staff, described the arrest as traumatic, particularly for children present at drop-off.
Beaverton’s mayor and Oregon’s governor also criticized the enforcement action.