DHS must speed up decision for Iranian data scientist

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A federal court in Arkansas ordered the Trump administration to expedite a decision on an Iranian data scientist’s immigration and employment status. The scientist resides in the state and earned a doctorate in computer science in the U.S. before working as a data scientist at Walmart, but has been unable to work since October 2025 due to the Department of Homeland Security’s expressed need to address “vetting failures” in its review of requests by non-citizens from 12 “high-risk countries,” including Iran. The DHS has offered no evidence the jobless scientist presents a national security risk, but officials may need time to interview him to make a determination about his employment application. DHS must inform the Iranian national and the court of its decision, “and if denied, the reasons for denial.”