http://www.newsobserver.com/102/story/517002.html

Published: Dec 02, 2006 12:30 AM
Modified: Dec 02, 2006 03:33 AM

U.S. may oust Carrboro woman
An application for a permit puts Sima Fallahi, a native of Iran, in danger of being deported

Patrick Winn, Staff Writer

CARRBORO - For years, Sima Fallahi has been the consummate Carrboro mom. She paints with watercolors, lives simply and walks her daughter home from school.

But even close friends didn't know Fallahi was wanted by immigration authorities. Detained Wednesday, she likely will be deported to her native Iran.

Fallahi, 48, of 104 Shelton St., had gone to the Chapel Hill Police Department to apply for a business permit to sell artwork.

During a routine background check, police discovered Fallahi was under "final order for removal" status in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement database.

Police held Fallahi in the Orange County jail until immigration enforcement could transport her to a different, undisclosed location Thursday.

"In general, this means she'll be deported unless we're directed otherwise by the courts," said Marc Raimondi, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesman.

She was detained for violating immigration terms, not for being under criminal suspicion, he said.

Fallahi was raised in Abadan, Iran, an oil-rich province besieged by Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq war.

She came to the United States more than 10 years ago under a student visa, said Behrooz Fallahi, a brother living in Illinois.

She attended UNC-Greensboro and Guilford College, said Behrooz Fallahi. But she did not acquire a nonstudent visa after leaving college, he said.

Though Behrooz and Sima Fallahi have four other siblings, they are the only two living in the United States. Since Sima's phone was disconnected six months ago, they have communicated only through e-mail.

"Now, I don't see what can be done," Behrooz Fallahi said. "Sending her back to Iran is a grave consequence for her."

Sima Fallahi never mentioned the threat of deportation to Rachel Beck, a fellow Carrboro Elementary School parent.

Instead, the two talked gardening while their two fifth-grade daughters played outside. Fallahi's daughter, Leila, loved playing with Beck's daughter by nearby Bolin Creek.

"Leila is an incredibly imaginative, creative player," Beck said. "She's likely to build forts in the woods and construct things from scraps."

Fallahi, a single mother, has been inseparable from her daughter, friends said. Both were a presence at town gatherings and the popular Weaver Street Market, a short walk from their downtown home.

Fallahi also applied twice to be on town appearance advisory boards. In 2004, she was the Carrboro Parent Teacher Association liaison responsible for welcoming parents to the school.

As far as Fallahi's friends could tell, she relied on selling artwork and postcards for money.

"She's a really good fit for Carrboro," said Jackie Helvey, a Web designer and photographer. "Here's a person who's very involved in the community, and she's threatened with being taken away from her home. It's wrong."

Leila Fallahi is staying with family friends in the Triangle, Beck said.

Though Raimondi was not familiar with the specifics of Fallahi's case, he said her "final order of removal" status implies that there is little room for appeal.

"This [status] means a person has had their day in court, they've met before an immigration judge, and the judge has ordered them removed," he said.