COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Colorado Springs community is coming together in support of Shabnam Maleki, an Iranian asylum seeker and beloved member of a local church, after she was recently detained by immigration authorities.
Maleki, who had fled Iran in pursuit of religious freedom, had built a new life and community in Colorado Springs. Her friends and supporters were left stunned when she didn’t show up to a Fourth of July gathering. After several days of searching, they discovered she was being held at the ICE detention center in Aurora.
“She is full of energy,” said her friend Tom. “She’s got card games she plays. It’s the game we want to play now.” Though he’s known her for less than a year, he said Maleki quickly became like family.
Pastor Matthew Capone of Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church said Maleki’s spiritual journey deeply moved the congregation. Born into a Muslim family in Iran, Maleki converted to Christianity as an adult.
“She sat down with some of the elders at the church and shared her story,” Capone recalled. “It’s not very often that the elders are in tears.”
Tom says his family invited her to many gatherings—including Thanksgiving and birthdays—and had expected her to join them for the holiday. Her absence raised alarm, and after days of uncertainty, they confirmed her detention by ICE.
Maleki has filed an asylum application and reportedly holds work authorization in the U.S., though her current immigration status remains unclear. News5 has contacted the Department of Homeland Security for clarification but has not yet received a response.
In the meantime, her supporters have sent letters and are working with a local immigration attorney to assist with her legal case.
“We’ve got to do everything we can to keep her from being transferred back to Iran,” Tom said.
The community remains hopeful that Maleki will be released soon and reunited with the people who now call her family.
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