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, as confirmed by the US Department of State.
Hashemi, whose mother Masoumeh Ebtekar gained notoriety for her role as a regime spokesperson during the 1979 hostage crisis, has been residing in Los Angeles. Concern arose when Hashemi’s wife returned home to find him missing, prompting a frantic search that led to their detainment by ICE agents.
Having moved to the US in 2010 to pursue his PhD studies and subsequently working as a professor, Hashemi and his family obtained lawful permanent resident status in 2016. Despite pressure from exiled Iranian activists, Hashemi refused to disavow his mother, who was involved in producing propaganda during the hostage crisis.
The US Department of State has accused Hashemi’s mother of orchestrating misleading propaganda efforts during the hostage crisis. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed firm opposition to allowing families of anti-American figures to benefit from residing in the US.
The family resided in a luxury apartment in California before their arrest, with calls for their deportation echoing for some time. Protests and petitions have urged the removal of Hashemi from the country, citing his family’s controversial history and actions.
