A popular manager of Pismo’s Coastal Grill in north Fresno is back home after nine months in immigration detention, his boss confirmed Monday.
Psalm Behpoor, 42, had been arrested by agents in June related to a 25-year-old burglary he committed around the time he turned 18. He’d previously served three years and four months in prison and later was fitted with an electronic monitor.
Behpoor worked as a manager at Pismo’s Coastal Grill and was well-liked among patrons of the restaurant. Owner Dave Fansler confirmed Behpoor had been released, adding he looked forward to Behpoor returning to the restaurant when he is ready.
He was held in the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center in Bakersfield.
He was allowed to be released on bond after the federal government did not contest a judge’s ruling on the bail amount, his attorneys said in a news release. He was released Friday.
“This has been one of the hardest experiences my family has ever faced,” Behpoor said in a news release from the attorney. “Seeing my wife and my child again was everything. I’m grateful to finally be back with them.”
Behpoor still awaits further immigration hearings. He said in previous interviews he should be allowed to be released on bond because he’s not a flight risk given he has no memory of Iran, where he was born, and has a family to care for in the Fresno area.
Behpoor came to the U.S. at age 3 with his family as they fled Iran a few years after the Iranian Revolution because they feared for their safety, he said. It’s for that reason that he can’t by law be deported to Iran.
Gov. Gavin Newsom pardoned Behpoor back in November for his 25-year-old burglary.
In previous interviews with The Bee, Behpoor expressed regret for a “stupid” crime he committed as a teenager.
Reached by text message, his wife, Lera Mirakyan, said she and her husband were advised not to discuss their case. The couple has a young son named Psalm Wally.
Psalm Behpoor, 42, photographed with his wife, Lera Mirakyan, and son, Psalm Wally, in undated photos. Behpoor remains in custody nearly two months after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special to The Bee
This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 2:59 PM.
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Reporter Thaddeus Miller has covered cities in the central San Joaquin Valley since 2010, writing about everything from breaking news to government and police accountability. A native of Fresno, he joined The Fresno Bee in 2019 after time in Merced and Los Banos.