Rubio again revokes visas, detains Iranian nationals he says are tied to regime
The Trump administration has revoked the legal status of three Iranian nationals with alleged ties to Iran’s government and detained them pending deportation, the State Department said Saturday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the lawful permanent resident status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi and their son. Federal agents arrested the three, who are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal proceedings, officials said.
The State Department said Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former Iranian official who served as a spokeswoman during the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days.
The three entered the United States in 2014 on visas and were later granted lawful permanent residency in 2016 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, according to officials.
The actions are part of a broader crackdown targeting individuals accused by U.S. officials of supporting Iran’s government.
Last week, authorities detained Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter after their green cards were revoked. The State Department said Afshar had expressed support for Iran’s leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization, including statements praising attacks on U.S. troops.
In a related move, officials also revoked the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of a senior Iranian official, and her husband. The couple is no longer in the United States and is barred from reentry.
In a social media post, Rubio said, “America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families,” adding that the individuals are now in custody pending removal.
The State Department said it is coordinating with the Department of Homeland Security on the enforcement actions.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
