Dr. Wafaa Alrashid, the chief medical officer at a hospital in the Los Angeles area, has observed a significant decline in her patientsโ attendance, attributed to the growing fear instilled by immigration raids sweeping through the Latino community she serves. Recognizing this anxiety on a personal level, her husband, Rami Othmaneโa Tunisian singer and classical musician residing in the U.S.โbegan carrying his pending green card application receipt.
Over the last few months, Southern California has seen the arrest of hundreds by immigration agents, igniting protests against the federal enforcement actions. These actions led to the deployment of the National Guard and Marines, affecting many, including permanent residents like Othmane, who had been living in the country for a decade on a pending green card status due to his marriage to a U.S. citizen.
On July 13, Othmane was detained during a routine drive to a grocery store in Pasadena. Despite producing his documents, immigration agents insisted he step out of his vehicle, Alrashid recounted, having witnessed the arrest in disbelief over FaceTime. Alrashid immediately drove to the scene, inadvertently arriving just as her husband was being taken away, a moment she described as the worst day of her life.
The enforcement actions, part of a broader crackdown by the Trump administration on illegal immigration, have impacted individuals beyond those without legal status, extending to others like Othmane with legal residency statuses. Reports of asylum seekers with pending cases being detained outside courtrooms have also emerged amid this aggressive deportation policy drive.
Alrashid explained that her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015, initially on a visa that has since expired. Their marriage in March 2025 was promptly followed by their green card application. Following his arrest, Othmane was transferred to a federal immigration facility in downtown Los Angeles, where Alrashid described dire conditions, highlighting the lack of basic amenities such as beds, pillows, blankets, and toiletries.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged the visa expiration but did not address the previously dismissed deportation order, nor the ongoing green card application. The agency rejected claims of poor treatment, emphasizing its commitment to ensuring detainee safety and welfare.
Othmane, known for his performances of classical Arabic music in Southern California, met Alrashid during one such event. She praised his kindness, illustrated by his actions in detention where he shared his sweater and constructed a makeshift privacy barrier with trash bags.
In the wake of his arrest, Alrashid joined forces with musicians, advocates, and activists in a rally outside the detention facility. The rally featured performances of classical Arabic music, with the hope that their sounds reached those inside. Accompanying them were Los Jornaleros del Norte, playing Spanish-language tunes common at protest gatherings.
Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, likened the musical offering to a traditional act of love in Latin American culture and an act of resistance in this context of captivity.
Alrashid expressed concern when she did not receive her usual daily call from Othmane and learned she was barred from visiting him that day. He later informed her via phone call of his transfer to an Arizona immigration facility, along with news of a swollen leg.
Alrashid, aiming to have her husband released on bail during the ongoing legal proceedings, attended a procedural hearing that confirmed his immigration status. A bail bond hearing is set for the following Tuesday, and until then, she waits hopefully for his next call.