Doctor and family return to Iran after detention at Logan Airport

BOSTON — An Iranian doctor who was coming to work at Boston Children's Hospital was detained at Boston Logan Airport.

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Boston Children's Hospital said Dr. Mohsen Dehnavi, a visiting research scholar with a J-1 visa, was traveling with his wife and three children when they were detained.

"Boston Children's hopes that this situation will be quickly resolved and Dr. Dehnavi and his family will be released and allowed to enter the U.S.," said Rob Graham on behalf of the hospital.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokeswoman Stephanie Malin said the Dehnavis family's detention was for "reasons unrelated" to President Donald Trump's executive order on travelers from six predominantly Muslim countries. She said the stop was based on information discovered during the agency's review. She didn't elaborate.

But she noted that visa applicants "bear the burden of proof" to meet all requirements and can be denied entry for a range of reasons, including health-related issues, criminality or security concerns.

J-1 visas are for individuals approved to work and study in exchange based programs, helping share U.S. society and culture. In Massachusetts, there were about 20,000 J-1 visa participants in 2016. 

Dehnavi's case started drawing attention on Twitter after someone tweeted out what they claimed was his visa.

Dehnavi is reportedly a prominent Iranian cancer researcher.

The Massachusetts chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union and the D.C.-based National Iranian American Council, which have both gotten involved in helping the Dehnavis, voiced concerns Tuesday, suggesting their detention might be a violation of the Supreme Court order.

"The family is very worried," said Shayan Modarres, a lawyer for the council. "If it is a minor paperwork issue, then something needs to be told to the family so they can resolve it."

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, told reporters he was waiting to hear more about the Dehnavis' circumstances, but also suggested the case was an example of concerns with the travel ban.

"Many people, doctors and nurses and people who are students working in the world-class institutions that we have are going to be boxed out or left out of the country," he said.

Customs and Border Patrol tells Boston 25 News that Dehnavis and his family departed from Logan on a flight back to Iran around 9 p.m. Tuesday.

The Associated Press contributed to this story

Cox Media Group