A recent crackdown led by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has resulted in the deportation targeting of seven Iranians with connections to Tehran’s harsh regime. This operation marks the end of a comfortable life in the U.S. for these individuals.
Over the weekend, articles from California Post and New York Post detailed the detentions, primarily focusing on Los Angeles, which is home to a significant Persian community.
Among those affected are the sons of Masoumeh Ebtekar, infamously dubbed “Mary the Cry.” She played a spokesperson role during the radical Islamic Revolution, which saw the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, an event that held 66 Americans hostage.
This incident essentially ignited decades of tension between the U.S. and Iran’s theocratic government.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Ebtekar’s son, Seyed Eissa Hashemi, along with his wife and child this week in Los Angeles. Reports indicated that Hashemi had been missing prior to confirmation of his detention.
Just a week earlier, immigration officials in Los Angeles also apprehended Hamide Soleimani Afshar, the niece of slain General Qassem Soleimani, along with her daughter.
They were stripped of their green cards on April 3, with news outlets showcasing their social media posts that flaunted a lavish lifestyle, including high-end fashion and revealing swimsuits—something that would have posed significant risks had they still been in Iran.
Furthermore, it was reported that while Afshar publicly supported the Iranian regime, he openly criticized the U.S., labeling it the “great devil.”
Although both individuals entered the U.S. with legal visas and gained asylum status and green cards, Afshar’s multiple trips back to Iran raised concerns for DHS, which deemed her asylum claim a potential fraud.
In a notable event, President Donald Trump had authorized a drone strike against Soleimani near Baghdad airport in 2020, citing his involvement in planning attacks on American forces.
In Atlanta, Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, a faculty member at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, and her husband, Seyed Qalantar Motamedi, were also expelled after community petitions and protests.
Dr. Larijani is the daughter of Ali Larijani, a prominent Iranian security official tied to previous regimes and killed in an Israeli strike along with other regime leaders.
Earlier in January, the U.S. Treasury had already imposed sanctions on Ali Larijani for inciting violence against the Iranian populace.
Dr. Larijani reportedly obtained her green card in 2021 during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Individuals affiliated with Iran’s “Death to America” theocracy seem to be facing increased scrutiny in the U.S., prompting Secretary of State Marco Rubio to emphasize that the former Trump administration intended to ensure America isn’t a sanctuary for supporters of anti-American terrorist regimes.
