Pismo’s manager held by ICE pleads for letters of support

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Fresno restaurant manager detained by ICE is asking for the community’s help.

Sam “Psalm” Behpoor is locked in the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Facility in Bakersfield.

Now, he says his fate is in the community’s hands.

“This is me asking the community and begging and pleading with everybody,” Behpoor said.

ICE detained him when he showed up for an immigration interview on June 23rd.

“I was shocked,” Behpoor’s life-long friend Kash Amin said. “I hadn’t talked to him for a few months, and that is a very unfortunate way to get an update about where your friend’s been since you last spoke.”

Behpoor immigrated to the United States when he was 3 years old and then got his green card at 13 years old.

Amin met him in the 7th grade.

“Yeah, there were some unfortunate things that happened, but he’s been a productive member of society. Send him home,” Amin said.

Behpoor served time in prison for non-aggravated burglary in 2004.

He was detained by ICE at the time, but they ultimately released him.

“I have changed and I’m not that person anymore, and I’ve evolved into something much different,” Behpoor said.

Behpoor has managed Pismo’s Coastal Grill in Fresno for ten years, and has a wife and a 3-year-old son.

He says if he is going to make it back to them, he needs the community’s support.

“He received a letter [this week] that basically said, ‘For your upcoming hearing… if you want to have letters of support, then have them e-mailed here.”

Behpoor says letters of support would make a huge difference in his case.

“It could make or break my freedom – 100%,” Behpoor said.

Reporters reached out to ICE to find out why it detained Behpoor in the first place, but did not hear back.

Behpoor says he’s not sure when the hearing will happen; he could get the call at any time.

He asks anyone interested in writing a letter to email it to LettersForPsalm@gmail.com.

People can also donate to his family’s GoFundMe page.