Case
U.S. termination of the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE detention
April 11, 2026
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
On April 11, 2026, the U.S. State Department said it had terminated the lawful permanent resident status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son, and that ICE had them in custody pending removal. Officials cited family ties and foreign-policy or national-security grounds; the family, its lawyers, and other commentators have disputed the action as family-based punishment. This case records those competing positions without deciding the legal validity of the action or the family’s current status.
Evidence and limits
The case concerns a documented April 2026 government announcement and the public dispute that followed. “Lawful permanent resident” is historical: the State Department says it terminated that status before or with the custody announcement. Government assertions about individual threat are recorded as attributed claims, not findings. Statements about criminal history, detention conditions, legal validity, and family association are attributed to their speakers or sources unless independently established. The minor is described only as the family’s son and is not represented by a separate public entity record.
What's disputed
The claims below are disputed. Follow each source to see who made it and what they said.
Disputed claim
The U.S. State Department said it terminated the family members’ lawful permanent resident status and that they were in ICE custody pending removal.
- Who made the claim
- U.S. Department of State
- Date
Sources
- State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custodyParagraphs naming Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son
Disputed claim
The Department of Homeland Security said the family’s presence in the United States posed a clear threat to national security and foreign policy.
- Who made the claim
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Date
Sources
- NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
Disputed claim
Maria Kari said no U.S. government agency had presented evidence supporting its allegations against the family.
- Who made the claim
- Maria Kari
- Date
Sources
- BBC News report on Tahmasebi’s detention and legal challengeQuoted statements from Maria Kari and a State Department spokesman
- NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
Response from the subject
We have not added a direct response to this case.
Documented responses
Reactions
2 latest responses. Dates: August 20, 2026 to August 22, 2026
0 responses on this page
No responses match these filters.
Clear response filtersCase timeline
2 timeline entries on this page. Dates: August 20, 2026 to August 22, 2026
- Defended or excused
Iranian Americans for Liberty
The @LibertyIranian account argued that residence status should not bar the family’s removal merely because relatives had not been charged with a U.S. crime.
Read statementIranian Americans for Liberty’s August 22, 2026 X post about removalX post ID 2091225485678112805 - Defended or excused
Raheleh Amiri
Amiri contrasted Tahmasebi’s request for an ordinary life with the experiences of Iranians affected by the Islamic Republic and called for Hashemi’s deportation in the cited report.
Read statementRaheleh Amiri interview about the family’s removal proceedingsInterview quotations attributed to Raheleh Amiri
Full sources
State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custody
Official statement
State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custody
Relevant passage: Paragraphs naming Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son
Excerpt
"Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are now in the custody of ICE pending removal."
About this source
Primary official source for the government’s April 2026 announcement. It establishes that the Department made this statement, not that its asserted rationale or legal conclusions are independently established.
Source details
- Author
- U.S. Department of State
- Published
- Accessed
Raheleh Amiri interview about the family’s removal proceedings
Reporting
Raheleh Amiri interview about the family’s removal proceedings
Relevant passage: Interview quotations attributed to Raheleh Amiri
Excerpt
"called on Marco Rubio to follow up on Ebtekar’s son’s case until he is fully deported"
About this source
Reporting source for Amiri’s attributed remarks. The response supports removal but does not independently establish its factual allegations.
Source details
- Author
- New York Post
- Published
- Accessed
Iranian Americans for Liberty’s August 22, 2026 X post about removal
Original post
Iranian Americans for Liberty’s August 22, 2026 X post about removal
Excerpt
"Permanent residency is not an entitlement."
About this source
Original post from the @LibertyIranian account arguing that the family’s removal should proceed. Organizational identity and representation remain in review.
Source details
- Author
- Iranian Americans for Liberty
- Published
- Accessed
NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detention
Reporting
NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detention
Relevant passage: Interviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
Excerpt
"At no point has a state department or has the government once offered any evidence that this family poses a viable actual threat to national security."
About this source
Reporting source for competing lawyer and DHS statements. Quoted assertions remain attributed to their speakers.
Source details
- Author
- Darsha Philips
- Published
- Accessed
BBC News report on Tahmasebi’s detention and legal challenge
Reporting
BBC News report on Tahmasebi’s detention and legal challenge
Relevant passage: Quoted statements from Maria Kari and a State Department spokesman
Excerpt
"no US government agency has presented any evidence to support their allegations"
About this source
Independent reporting that presents the government and legal-team positions. It supports attribution of the quotations, not resolution of the underlying legal dispute.
Source details
- Author
- BBC News
- Published
- Accessed
Accountability
Corrections and right to reply
Corrections address errors in our reporting or labels. When a speaker changes their position, we add a separate statement and link it to the earlier one.
No corrections on this page.