Scalise's intervention was "absolutely crucial" to behind-the-scenes advocacy to secure Kashanian's release, her attorney said. Mrs. Kashanian was a volunteer at Habitats for Humanity. Kashanian came to the US in 1978 on a student visa and unsuccessfully applied for asylum based on her father's support of the brutal Shah of Iran, a US-installed satrap whose notorious secret police (SAVAK) tortured dissidents and 'disappeared' thousands of people. What happens next for Kashanian's legal status is still being worked out. Link: Steve Scalise Webpage
