An English-speaking Iranian national coming illegally to the U.S. through South America said he is “not a terrorist” and it’s his “childhood dream” to come to America.
The Iranian man was interviewed by Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, who is on the ground in Tapachula, Mexico documenting the U.S. border crisis.
Interview with English-speaking IRANIAN in deep southern Mexico. Swears he’s no terrorist. Traveled 11 countries, $5,000 so far…at least 100 Iranians here in Tapachula en route to US border pic.twitter.com/o8vgjcCnb2
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) October 18, 2024
The man said he has traveled through 11 countries so far – Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico – on his journey to the U.S. southern border, which he said has cost him approximately $4,000-$5,000.
When asked by Bensman what he would say to Americans who are “worried” that he, as an Iranian national, is “no good” or an “extremist,” the man said Iranians are “kind” people who are “not terrorists.”
“It’s my childhood dream to come to [the] USA. I have lots of pictures [of] USA flag. I always hear USA song. I love your culture, and I have lots of friends in [the] USA,” the man said.
“I know [Americans] think that we are terrorists, but it’s not like this. All of the Iranians are kind people, and if you come to our country, lots of people want to invite you in their house. Just our government is like this. We are not so bad people. We are not terrorists. We are kind and we have a lot of sense of humor,” the man added.
Bensman is on the ground in southern Mexico documenting the holding of hundreds of thousands of migrants in the Mexican cities of Tapachula and Villahermosa who collectively have a goal of reaching the U.S. southern border.
On Thursday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Bensman explained that the holding of migrants in southern Mexico is part of a deal the Biden administration made with the Mexican government to decrease the number of border crossings in an effort to avoid negative press coverage leading up to the November 5 general election.
The Iranian man he interviewed, Bensman said, is one of approximately 100 Iranians currently being held in southern Mexico among the hundreds of thousands of migrants.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Iranian National” by Todd Bensman.
