LAX, January–February 2017. An archival sequence of arrival, detention, protest, court action and return, told through original public reporting.
Ali Vayeghan arrived at LAX from Tehran with valid immigration documentation on the day the first Trump travel-ban order was signed. He was detained rather than admitted. The Los Angeles Times reported the case as it unfolded.
Read original reporting · Los Angeles TimesAttorneys sought emergency court intervention. Before the court ruled, Vayeghan was removed from the United States. The ACLU’s public account records the subsequent effort to secure his return.
Read ACLU accountThousands gathered at LAX in response to the travel ban. Public reporting documents Marjan Vayghan’s involvement as an artist and family member, alongside the legal efforts and wider demonstrations.
Read Artbound · PBS SoCalU.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee ordered federal officials to return Vayeghan and admit him under the terms of his visa. The legal action was supported by ACLU of Southern California and immigration attorneys.
Read original reporting · Los Angeles TimesVayeghan returned to Los Angeles and was welcomed by family, attorneys and supporters. Marjan Vayghan is named in the public record of his return. PBS SoCal’s account follows the sequence from removal to reunion.
Read Ali’s journey · PBS SoCalAt the welcome, Mayor Eric Garcetti described Los Angeles as “a city of sanctuary and of refuge.” The ACLU published an archival video and account of the remarks on February 3.
Watch archival video · ACLU SoCalAudrey Chan’s mural The Care We Create depicts Marjan Vayghan and Ali Vayeghan among Southern California community members. Marjan is a person depicted, not the mural’s artist. A Fowler Museum conversation in 2021 continued this public dialogue.
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