National Security Breach: Hostage Taker’s Kin in U.S.

A professional reviewing documents with stamps and an American flag on the table

Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked green cards for the family of “Screaming Mary,” the notorious spokeswoman for Iranian militants who held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, exposing how Obama-era immigration vetting failed to keep out relatives of anti-American extremists.

Story Snapshot

Rubio terminated legal status for Masoumeh Ebtekar’s son and his family, who received Obama-era green cards despite her role in the 1979 hostage crisis
ICE detained the three Iranian nationals in Los Angeles pending deportation after living in the U.S. since 2014
The family entered through the Diversity Visa Program in 2016, months after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized U.S. Navy vessels
Action follows similar revocations targeting relatives of Qasem Soleimani and other Iranian regime figures living in Southern California

Obama Administration Granted Entry to Hostage Crisis Family

Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son entered the United States in 2014 on visas issued during the Obama administration. The family received lawful permanent resident status through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program in June 2016. Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, infamously known as “Screaming Mary” for her role as the English-speaking spokeswoman for militants who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979. She justified the takeover, beatings, and mock executions of 52 American hostages held for 444 days through defiant media interviews that earned her the nickname from U.S. outlets.

Vetting Failures Raise National Security Questions

The approval of green cards for Ebtekar’s family highlights serious concerns about immigration vetting during the previous administration. Despite Ebtekar’s high-profile role in one of America’s most traumatic foreign policy crises and her subsequent career as a prominent Iranian regime politician, including service as Vice President for the Environment, her relatives passed through the screening process. The timing proved particularly troubling, as the family received permanent resident status just months after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps seized U.S. Navy vessels and detained American sailors. This pattern reflects what many see as a fundamental failure to prioritize American security over misguided humanitarian impulses in immigration policy.

Rubio Enforces Accountability Under Trump Administration

Secretary Rubio announced the revocations this week, stating definitively that “Her family should never have been allowed” into the country and declaring “America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families — and under the Trump Administration, it never will.” Following the termination of their legal status, ICE took the family into custody in Los Angeles, where they had been residing, with deportation proceedings now active. The State Department confirmed the action as part of a broader enforcement pattern targeting Iranian regime-linked individuals who have been living in the United States, particularly in Southern California communities.

This enforcement action represents the latest in a series of immigration crackdowns on relatives of Iranian figures with ties to anti-American activities. On April 4, 2026, Rubio revoked the green cards of Hamideh Afshar Soleimani, niece of Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter, both of whom were arrested in California after publicly supporting the Iranian regime. Earlier, Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of Ali Larijani who was killed in an Israeli strike in March 2026, and her husband self-deported after their status was revoked and they were barred from re-entry. These coordinated actions signal a fundamental shift from the lax policies that allowed such individuals to exploit American generosity.

Implications for Immigration Enforcement and Iranian Relations

The revocations set a precedent for swift action against potentially hundreds of Iranian regime-linked residents currently living in the United States. This enforcement shift serves both immediate national security interests and long-term deterrence, sending a clear message to Iranian elites that American residency will not be available to families connected with anti-American terrorism or regime activities. The actions also place renewed scrutiny on the Diversity Visa Program, which President Trump suspended for new applicants following his return to office, citing security vulnerabilities that these cases have now validated through concrete examples of vetting failures under prior leadership.

For many Americans across the political spectrum who question whether government officials prioritize national security over political correctness, these deportations offer tangible proof that the current administration is willing to correct past mistakes. The fact that relatives of a woman who tormented American hostages were allowed to live comfortably in Los Angeles for over a decade while ordinary citizens struggled under the consequences of misguided policies exemplifies the disconnect many perceive between Washington elites and everyday Americans. Whether one views immigration primarily through a security lens or a humanitarian one, the failure to properly vet individuals with such direct family ties to anti-American extremism represents a breakdown in basic governmental responsibility that transcends partisan politics.