US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has canceled the permanent resident status of three Iranian nationals allegedly linked to Iran’s revolutionary regime, resulting in their arrest and detention for deportation. Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after their legal status was revoked, awaiting deportation proceedings.
Hashemi, the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, known for her involvement in the 1979 US Embassy takeover in Tehran, was among those detained. Ebtekar, who acted as a spokesperson for the militants during the hostage crisis, was accused of manipulating media interactions to distort the treatment of American hostages, who endured harsh conditions including solitary confinement and physical abuse.
The trio entered the US in 2014 under visas from the Obama administration and later obtained permanent residency through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. However, the current administration has suspended this program. Additionally, relatives of Qasem Soleimani, a slain Iranian military commander, also had their legal status revoked by Rubio, with some family members now in ICE custody.
The State Department, in collaboration with immigration enforcement agencies, emphasized its commitment to preventing the US from harboring individuals associated with anti-American activities, ensuring the enforcement of these measures to safeguard national security.
