Kamal Ghorui
Three Iranian nationals with alleged links to Tehran’s political body have had their green cards revoked and are now in ICE custody, marking the latest in a series of actions by Washington targeting individuals tied to the Iranian regime.US secretary of state Marco Rubio confirmed that Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son were detained after authorities determined they posed a potential threat to national security. The family had been living in Los Angeles before their arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.The trio had been residing in US for years and were leading a comfortable lifestyle prior to their detention, reports the New York Post. The State Department cited their connections to Iran’s ruling establishment as the basis for the action.Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, a controversial figure in Iran who gained global attention during the Iran hostage crisis. Ebtekar, often referred to as “Screaming Mary”, acted as a spokesperson for militants who stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held American diplomats hostage for 444 days. She was criticised for promoting propaganda during the crisis.Hashemi entered the United States through San Francisco International Airport in September 2014 on an F-1 student visa. By 2016, he, his wife and their son had obtained green cards during the administration of former US President Barack Obama.Authorities said Hashemi had been working as a lecturer at the Chicago School of Psychology. Reports noted that he declined to comment on his mother’s past when approached.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that all three individuals were deemed a threat to national security. Announcing the decision, Rubio said US can “never become the home of anti-American terrorists or their families.”He added, “Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country.”The development follows a similar move last week involving relatives of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani, who led Iran’s Quds Force and was killed in a US drone strike in 2020. US authorities revoked the green cards of his niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and her daughter, who were subsequently taken into custody and now face deportation.Rubio accused Afshar of supporting the Iranian government while living in US. In a post, Rubio said, “Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States. This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States.”The MAGA base maintains that holding a green card is a privilege rather than a right, and can be revoked if an individual is found to pose a threat. The latest actions come amid heightened tensions between US and Iran.
