LA pastor confronts masked federal agents as they detain Iranian couple seeking asylum

SAWTELLE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A local pastor is speaking out after he says an Iranian couple seeking asylum was detained by masked federal agents outside of their home on Tuesday.

"I asked them if they had a warrant, they said yes, but they didn't show me anything," said Ara Torosian, a pastor at Cornerstone Church of West Los Angeles. "It was very heartbreaking."

Torosian pleaded with Border Patrol agents as they detained the Iranian husband and wife. He can be heard in the video repeatedly asking the agents why they are taking the couple.

Those federal agents threatened Torosian with arresting him if he didn't back up.

He said the Christian couple were in the United States seeking religious asylum. They called Torosian when agents arrived at their home.

"The couple that you see in the video, they have Social Security, they have a work permit," he said. "There is no criminal background."

Torosian got emotional as the woman, Marjan, had a panic attack watching her husband being taken away. Torosian begged to comfort and pray with her.

Torosian is heard in the video during the arrest screaming "Let her go! She's sick! She's bad! Call 911!"

He repeatedly tells the agents that they are both asylum seekers.

"They came here for freedom, not like this," he says in the video.

Before being detained, she was taken by ambulance to the hospital, but even there, her pastor couldn't get close.

"An agent was standing in front of the room number 9 and we asked the agent 'can we go and pray inside with Marjan?" said Torosian. "They didn't allow anybody, he didn't allow anybody to go inside."

We've watched these immigration arrests play out countless times across Los Angeles this month, but for Torosian, who is a U.S. citizen, after fleeing Iran years ago because of religious persecution, this hit far too close to home.

"Remind me, [are these] the streets of Tehran or Los Angeles?"

He said on Monday, in addition to this couple, another husband and wife and their toddler, all members of his church, were detained.

Now, he's warning his congregants to stay at home instead of coming to Sunday service.

"I had to call my people because everybody was full of fear and I asked them not to come to church Sunday," Torosian said.

A pastor trying to find a way to forgive the individual federal agents.

"You're so cruel," Torosian said. "I know you're just doing your job, but shame on you. Shame on this government."

He's heartbroken that those who came to the U.S. for a better, safer life are being handled like religious outcasts once again.

"Where's our compassion, where's our love? This is America, land of opportunity and freedom," said Torosian.

He said he doesn't know where the couple was taken to, but the family that was taken on Monday were sent to a family facility in Texas.