Behpoor worked as a manager at Pismo\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
He was held in the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center<\/a> in Bakersfield.<\/p>\n He was allowed to be released on bond after the federal government did not contest a judge\u2019s ruling on the bail amount, his attorneys said in a news release. He was released Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been one of the hardest experiences my family has ever faced,\u201d Behpoor said in a news release from the attorney<\/a>. \u201cSeeing my wife and my child again was everything. I\u2019m grateful to finally be back with them.\u201d<\/p>\n Behpoor still awaits further immigration hearings. He said in previous interviews he should be allowed to be released on bond because he\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s for that reason that he can\u2019t by law be deported to Iran.<\/p>\n Gov. Gavin Newsom pardoned Behpoor back in November for his 25-year-old burglary.<\/p>\n In previous interviews with The Bee, Behpoor expressed regret for a \u201cstupid\u201d crime<\/a> he committed as a teenager.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 9, 2026 at 2:59 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Fresno Bee<\/p>\n 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 <\/p>\n