Rubio Defends Revocation of Residency for Family Linked to Iranian Official
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration has terminated the lawful permanent resident status of a family tied to a senior Iranian figure, calling the move part of a broader effort to protect national security.
In a statement, Rubio pointed to Masoumeh Ebtekar, also known as “Screaming Mary” who served as a spokeswoman during the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held for 444 days.
Rubio said that in 2014, the Obama administration granted visas to Ebtekar’s son and his family, and in 2016 approved their lawful permanent residency through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
“This week, I terminated their lawful permanent resident status,” Rubio said, adding that Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal from the United States.
He argued the family should not have been allowed to benefit from living in the country, emphasizing that individuals connected to what he described as anti-American terrorism, or their relatives would not be permitted to remain under current policy.
“America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families,” Rubio said.
