The son of a well-known Iranian propaganda figure is facing deportation from the United States following a surprise raid at his upscale residence. Seyed Eissa Hashemi, along with his wife Maryam Tahmasebi and their child, has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for imminent expulsion from the country, according to a statement from the US Department of State. Hashemi, whose mother Masoumeh Ebtekar gained notoriety for her vocal role during the 1979 hostage crisis, has been living in Los Angeles, where his wife initially feared he had been abducted before their family was detained by ICE agents.
Neighbors reported that Hashemi still had his phone with him, allowing his family to track his whereabouts during the incident. The 43-year-old, who moved to the US in 2010 to pursue his PhD and later worked as a professor, obtained permanent residency for his family through a visa program that has since been discontinued. Despite calls for his deportation and his refusal to disavow his mother’s actions, Hashemi and his family were living in a luxury apartment in California before their arrest.
Critics have long demanded the expulsion of Hashemi and his family, staging protests and launching petitions aimed at their removal from the country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the family’s presence in the US, emphasizing that individuals associated with anti-American activities should not benefit from residing in the country. The ongoing situation has sparked controversy and raised questions about national security implications surrounding the family’s residency status in the US.