Three undocumented students who held a sit-in at McCain's office are being held on ICE warrants and will be transferred to ICE detention, according to Oakland local Malachi Garza, who attended their court hearing today. They were arrested yesterday in Tucson and are expected to face deportation proceedings.

One of the three immigrants, Mohammad Abdollahi, is Iranian. He's also gay.
In Iran, being gay is sometimes a death sentence. The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission has cited criminal laws on the books in Iran that allow the killing of people who are gay. Some estimates I've heard put the number of gay people killed at 400, but who knows when anyone started counting.

Harassment and systematic torture for being gay in Iran is common. The government pays for sex changes, but gays get at least a jail sentence with up to 100 lashes.

Organizers are saying Mohammad hoped to get asylum by revealing he's gay to the press. He and the other students took a huge risk to publicize the DREAM ACT, a bill that would open the way to legal status for undocumented students brought here as children by their parents.

In whatever way you can, find a way to support their bravery. Beyond risking deportation - one of them has potentially risked much more.

Immigrant Students Detained for the DREAM Act from Barni Qaasim on Vimeo.