Editor’s Note:The Mirmehdi brothers were detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for over two years. You can read about their case in our briefing papers or hear it told in their own words in our videotaped excerpts. What follows is a first-person account two of the brothers posted on our site regarding a recent break-in to their home, which they believe was a raid conducted by the federal government in a search for evidence against them. We hope to get reaction to that allegation soon from Homeland Security. When we do, we will post that, as well.

It was about 2:00 pm on February 22, 2006 that I received a phone call from my brother Mohammad that our home was broken into. I immediately left my office and went to my home and saw that the back door frame was broken and they forced themselves into my home as well as the garage. They apparently searched Mohammad’s room and his files as well as Mohsen’s room. They also moved Mohammad’s shaver from the bathroom to his room. I do not know what other things they did in our home. This is not the first time that is happening to us. Our home was broken into on or about March 20, 2003 while we were incarcerated and they searched my room and went over all my documents legal, as well as business and personal documents and apparently took some with them and tore some documents and left it in my room. They also broke into our home in year 2000 and 2001 and the same things happened then. I know of these three incidents but it could be more that I am not aware of. To the best of our knowledge they did not take any things of material and precious value with them during these illegal and forceful entries. All of these illegal searches and seizures were without our consent and permission and we have not received any search warrants at all and even no business cards were left at the premises. These incidents clearly show the errosion [sic] of civil liberty in United States of America.

In regards to my life after our release in March, 2005 I would like to write the following:

I have lost most of my friends and my clients who were with me for a long time. They are mostly afraid to talk to me and I understand their concern. It has been very difficult for me to survive emotionally as well as financially and I have been using my credit cards to survive financially. I have also received some emotional support from a psychologist on a regular basis for the nightmares that I have gone through, even now. I still have nightmares and my sleep pattern is not a healthy one. I always wake up at midnight and cannot go back to sleep anymore, especially when I have a nightmare which is at least two, three times a week and I still am dealing with severe depression. It is very difficult to deal with these post-incarceration problems emotionally, as well as physically and financially.