Us revokes green cards, detains family of iranian propaganda figure
The United States has taken a decisive step against a prominent figure in Iran’s propaganda network, revoking the green cards of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son, and detaining them for deportation.
A tangled web of connections
According to the State Department, the family – linked to a key figure in the 1979 embassy hostage crisis – are now in ICE custody. Seyed Eissa Hashemi and his wife, both professors at The Chicago School, represent a significant escalation in the administration’s strategy targeting individuals connected to the Iranian regime.
Ebtekar’s family: a political legacy
The move comes to light amidst a broader crackdown, following the arrest of other Iranian-linked families. Notably, the family of Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Major General, has also faced similar action. Maryam Tahmasebi’s father, Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former vice president, rose to prominence as the spokesperson for the student group that seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979, holding 52 Americans hostage for over a year. Ebtekar subsequently held several high-level positions, including twice serving as the head of Iran’s Department of Environment. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated unequivocally: “Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country.”
A history of targeted action
The family’s initial arrival in the U.S. on a visa in 2014, and subsequent acquisition of lawful permanent resident status in 2016 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa program – a program previously curtailed by the Trump administration – underscores a deliberate and sustained policy. The attempt to restrict this program following the Saipul Saipov attack, a chilling reminder of the risks associated with such pathways, demonstrates a hardening stance. The administration’s consistent – and now repeated – dismantling of these programs signals a clear determination to limit access for those linked to adversarial regimes.
Diplomatic efforts amidst tensions
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance, alongside special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, has traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, for high-stakes negotiations aimed at de-escalating the volatile situation in Iran. The immediate priority: opening the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway vital to global oil supplies, currently blocked by Iranian forces. This delicate diplomatic maneuver unfolds against a fragile two-week truce, a precarious holding pattern in a deeply entrenched conflict.
A final note
The swift action against this family isn’t merely a procedural matter; it’s a potent declaration. America will not serve as a refuge for those who actively undermine its interests. The administration’s resolve remains unwavering.”