LOS ANGELES – Dr. Wafaa Alrashid observed a decline in the attendance of her patients at the hospital in Los Angeles where she is employed, as immigration raids instilled fear among the Latino community she caters to.
The Utah-born chief medical officer at Huntington Hospital resonated with their concern on a personal note. Her husband Rami Othmane, a Tunisian vocalist and classical musician, started carrying proof of his pending green card application with him.
Recently, immigration authorities have detained hundreds throughout Southern California, leading to protests against these federal raids and the consequential deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Despite residing in the U.S. for ten years as part of many residents wedded to U.S. citizens, he was caught in the enforcement sweep.
On July 13, Othmane was halted while heading to a grocery store in Pasadena. He immediately presented his documentation to the federal immigration officers.
“They were indifferent, they instructed, ‘Please step out of the car,’” Alrashid recounted the officers’ words as she witnessed her husband’s apprehension in shock via FaceTime.
Alrashid instantly got into her car, using her phone to track his location. She arrived just as the vehicle with the silhouette of his head in the back was pulling away.
“That was probably the worst day of my life,” she said.
The Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration has ensnared not only immigrants without legal status but legal permanent residents like Othmane who has green cards. Some U.S. citizens have even been arrested. Meanwhile, many asylum-seekers who have regular check-in appointments are being arrested in the hallways outside courtrooms as the White House works toward its promise of mass deportations.
Alrashid said her husband has been in the U.S. since 2015 and overstayed his visa, but his deportation order was dismissed in 2020. They wed in March 2025 and immediately filed for a green card.
After his arrest, he was taken to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Los Angeles where he was held in a freezing cold room with “no beds, no pillows, no blankets, no soap, no toothbrushes and toothpaste, and when you’re in a room with people, the bathroom’s open,” she said.
The Department of Homeland Security in an emailed statement noted the expiration of his tourist visa but did not address the dismissal of the deportation order in 2020 nor his pending green card application.
The agency denied any allegations of mistreatment, and said “ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.”
Alrashid said for years her husband has performed classical Arabic music across Southern California. They first met when he was singing at a restaurant.
“He’s the kindest person,” Alrashid said, adding that he gave a sweater she brought him to a fellow detainee and to give others privacy, he built a makeshift barrier around the open toilet using trash bags.
“He’s brought a lot to the community, a lot of people love his music,” she said.
More than a week after his arrest, fellow musicians, immigration advocates and activists joined Alrashid in a rally outside the facility.
A few of his colleagues performed classical Arabic music, drumming loud enough that they hoped the detainees inside could hear them. Los Jornaleros del Norte musicians, who often play Spanish-language music at rallies, also were there.
“In Latin American culture, the serenade — to bring music to people — is an act of love and kindness. But in this moment, bringing music to people who are in captivity is also an act of resistance,” said Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.
Leading up to the rally, Alrashid was worried because she hadn’t received her daily call from her husband and was told she couldn’t visit him that day at the detention facility. She finally heard from him that evening.
Othmane told her over the phone he was now at an immigration detention facility in Arizona, and that his left leg was swollen.
“They should ultrasound your leg, don’t take a risk,” she said.
Alrashid hopes to get her husband out on bail while his case is being processed. They had a procedural hearing on Thursday where the judge verified his immigration status, and have a bail bond hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
Until then, she’ll continue waiting for his next phone call.
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