HAPPENED. KOCO KYLIE THOMAS IS HERE WITH THE LATEST. AN IRANIAN STUDIES PROFESSOR AT OU WAS ABOUT TO BOARD A FLIGHT SATURDAY HERE AT WILL ROGERS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO REPRESENT THE UNIVERSITY AT A CONFERENCE WHEN HE WAS DETAINED BY ICE FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THAT WAS A DOMESTIC FLIGHT TO A CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., AND HE GOT HE GOT TAKEN. HE GOT TAKEN BY ICE. DOCTOR VAHID ABEDINI IS AN IRANIAN STUDIES PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA, IS NOW BACK HOME AFTER BEING RELEASED BY ICE MONDAY NIGHT. THE PROFESSOR POSTED ON LINKEDIN, CALLING IT A DEEPLY DISTRESSING EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY SEEING THOSE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT I HAD. KOCO REACHED OUT TO ICE ASKING WHY THE PROFESSOR WAS TAKEN. THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAID DOCTOR ABEDINI WAS DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING. I HOPE IT ISN’T ROUTINE THAT EVERY VISA HOLDER IS GOING TO BE PUT INTO JAIL FOR THREE DAYS. IN ORDER FOR ROUTINE PROCEDURE. JOSHUA LANDIS, CO-DIRECTOR OF OU CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST STUDIES, FIRST ANNOUNCED THE NEWS ON X, SAYING THE PROFESSOR HAD BEEN WRONGFULLY DETAINED BECAUSE HE HAS A VALID H-1B VISA. THERE WAS SOME QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER WE SHOULD GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND MAKE A HUE AND CRY ABOUT THIS, WHETHER THAT WOULD HELP OR HURT. SO FORTH. FAMILY MEMBERS SAID, LET’S HOLD OFF UNTIL MONDAY AND HOPEFULLY THERE WILL BE A MEETING WITH A JUDGE AND HE WILL BE FREED. BUT THERE WAS NO MEETING ON MONDAY. STUDENTS, FACULTY AND REPRESENTATIVES LIKE JACOB ROSECRANS BEGAN POSTING ONLINE AND REACHING OUT TO ANYONE WHO COULD HELP. AND ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE PROFESSOR WAS RELEASED. LANDIS SAID DOCTOR ABEDINI CAME FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS THIS PAST SPRING AFTER A NATIONAL SEARCH. WHY IS THIS A ROUTINE PROCEDURE? FOR VALID VISA HOLDERS, IT IT SEEMS IN IT SEEMS IMPOLITE AND DEGRADING, SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN. IT DIDN’T USED TO HAPPEN IN AMERICA. PEOPLE WERE POLITE TO EACH OTHER. AND TODAY, OBVIOUSLY WE’VE WE’VE LET THAT SLIP. AND IT’S A SHAME BECAUSE HE’S A VERY HONORED AND MUCH LOVED PROFESSOR. HIS STUDENTS WERE VERY WORRIED. THEY LOVED HIS CLASSES, LANDIS SAID. DOCTOR ABEDINI WILL BE BACK IN FRONT 'Didn’t use to happen': OU professor detained by ICE for several days while boarding flight The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Abedini was detained for "standard questioning." He was held for days. Updated: 5:09 PM CST Nov 25, 2025 Editorial Standards ⓘ Faculty at the University of Oklahoma are raising questions about why an Iranian studies professor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for several days. >> Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here.The professor, Vahid Abedini, was boarding a flight on Saturday at OKC Will Rogers International Airport to represent OU at a conference when he was detained. "It was a domestic flight to a conference in Washington, D.C., and he got taken. He got taken by ICE," said state Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, a Democrat representing Norman. Abedini was released on Monday night, and he is now back at home. He posted on LinkedIn, calling the situation a "deeply distressing experience, especially seeing those without the support I had." KOCO 5 reached out to ICE, asking why the professor was taken. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Abedini was detained for "standard questioning." "I hope it isn’t routine that every visa holder is going to be put into jail for three days for routine procedure," said Joshua Landis, co-director of the Center for Middle East Studies at OU. Landis first announced the news on the social media platform X, saying the professor had been "wrongfully detained because he has a valid H-1B visa." "There was some question whether we should go to social media and make a hue and cry about this, whether it would help or hurt. Family members said let’s hold off until Monday, and hopefully there will be a meeting with a judge, and he will be freed. But there was no meeting Monday," Landis said. >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelStudents, faculty and Rosecrants began posting online and reaching out to anyone who could help. On Monday, he was released. Landis said Abedini came from the University of Arkansas last spring after a national search. "Why is this a routine procedure for valid visa holders? It seems impolite and degrading, something that doesn’t have to happen. It didn’t use to happen in America. People were polite to each other, and today, we’ve let that slip, which is a shame because he is a very honored and much-loved professor. His students were very worried. They love his classes," Landis said. Landis said Abedini will be back in front of his class on Monday.Top Headlines Motorcycle officer taken to hospital after crash in The Village, police say These 6 kitchen tools can make or break your Thanksgiving dinner The Walmart Black Friday deals on TVs, toys and more you need to know about The Village Police Department asking for prayers after motorcycle officer injured in crash 'It’s a little shocking': Birth control linked to 20-year-old Oklahoma woman's stroke Faculty at the University of Oklahoma are raising questions about why an Iranian studies professor was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for several days. >> Get the latest news stories of interest by clicking here. The professor, Vahid Abedini, was boarding a flight on Saturday at OKC Will Rogers International Airport to represent OU at a conference when he was detained. "It was a domestic flight to a conference in Washington, D.C., and he got taken. He got taken by ICE," said state Rep. Jacob Rosecrants, a Democrat representing Norman. Abedini was released on Monday night, and he is now back at home. He posted on LinkedIn, calling the situation a "deeply distressing experience, especially seeing those without the support I had." KOCO 5 reached out to ICE, asking why the professor was taken. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Abedini was detained for "standard questioning." "I hope it isn’t routine that every visa holder is going to be put into jail for three days for routine procedure," said Joshua Landis, co-director of the Center for Middle East Studies at OU. Landis first announced the news on the social media platform X, saying the professor had been "wrongfully detained because he has a valid H-1B visa." "There was some question whether we should go to social media and make a hue and cry about this, whether it would help or hurt. Family members said let’s hold off until Monday, and hopefully there will be a meeting with a judge, and he will be freed. But there was no meeting Monday," Landis said. >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelStudents, faculty and Rosecrants began posting online and reaching out to anyone who could help. On Monday, he was released. Landis said Abedini came from the University of Arkansas last spring after a national search. "Why is this a routine procedure for valid visa holders? It seems impolite and degrading, something that doesn’t have to happen. It didn’t use to happen in America. People were polite to each other, and today, we’ve let that slip, which is a shame because he is a very honored and much-loved professor. His students were very worried. They love his classes," Landis said. Landis said Abedini will be back in front of his class on Monday.Top Headlines Motorcycle officer taken to hospital after crash in The Village, police say These 6 kitchen tools can make or break your Thanksgiving dinner The Walmart Black Friday deals on TVs, toys and more you need to know about The Village Police Department asking for prayers after motorcycle officer injured in crash 'It’s a little shocking': Birth control linked to 20-year-old Oklahoma woman's stroke