Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
U.S. officials revoked the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s permanent residency and detained them, citing national-security and foreign-policy concerns tied to Eissa Hashemi’s mother. The family and its supporters say the government imposed guilt by association.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
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.
People in this case
Marco RubioDirectly involved
Timeline
21 timeline entries on this page. Dates: April 11, 2026 to September 9, 2026
April 2026
State Department announces residency-status termination and ICE custody
Source release
The State Department said it had terminated the family members' lawful permanent resident status and that ICE had them in custody pending removal. Per a later letter from the Committee of Concerned Scientists, Hashemi was detained first, with Tahmasebi and their son detained the following day; exact calendar dates for the individual arrests have not been independently confirmed beyond the State Department's own description of them occurring "this week" as of its April 11 announcement.
Source image Press release graphic from the State Department announcement.
[01]State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custody
Source excerpt
Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are now in the custody of ICE pending removal.
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.
State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custodyParagraphs naming Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son[02]Secretary Marco Rubio’s April 11, 2026 X post about the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family
Source excerpt
Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country.
Original public post stating Rubio’s position after the announcement. The source supports attribution of the position to Rubio, not its factual premises.
Secretary Marco Rubio’s April 11, 2026 X post about the Hashemi–Tahmasebi familyX post ID 2042961146307547296[03]Committee of Concerned Scientists
Primary institutional letter dated September 8. It opposes family-based punishment and seeks individualized proceedings and release absent individual risk evidence. Its legal conclusions and residence-status terminology remain the organization's assertions, not independent findings.
Committee of Concerned Scientists letter concerning detention of an Iranian-American family · Committee of Concerned ScientistsOrganization letter addressed to Secretary Rubio
May 2026
Family files federal habeas petition
The federal docket records Tahmasebi’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus. This entry establishes the filing, not the merits or outcome of the detention challenge.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Federal court consolidates related family petitions
The docket records an order consolidating the related petitions into Tahmasebi v. Mullin, 5:26-cv-03066. The docket description was verified; the underlying order PDF was not reviewed.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Family files amended consolidated habeas petition
The federal docket records an amended habeas petition filed by Hashemi, Tahmasebi and their son, entry 5. The filing followed consolidation of the related cases and continued their challenge to detention.
[05]Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filings
The public docket reproduces the court filing descriptions. Entry 28 identifies an exhibit titled Voluntary Departure Order. The exhibit and entry 30 notice were not available for review. The descriptions establish the filings, without resolving departure terms, changed facts or present custody.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filingsDocket 5:26-cv-03066, entries 5 (May 22), 28 and Exhibit A (August 12), 30 (August 22); entry 30 description also reproduced on PacerMonitor
June 2026
Government responds to the amended habeas petition
Reaction
The federal respondents file their response to the family's amended habeas petition, with five exhibits. The docket identifies the filing as ECF 7.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in error
July 2026
Newsweek reports DHS opposition to proposed voluntary departure
Source release
Newsweek reported on filings describing a proposed self-funded departure to Türkiye and DHS rejection of the proposed agreement after a July 1 hearing. This records the July report; the later August 12 departure-order exhibit and August 22 changed-facts notice have not been reviewed and may affect the subsequent position.
Source image Masoumeh Ebtekar and her son Seyed Eissa Hashemi in the image accompanying Newsweek’s report.
[07]Newsweek reports on the family’s proposed self-funded voluntary departure
Source excerpt
a stipulated order of removal, with continued detention
Original reporting based on filings obtained by Newsweek and direct interviews; updated July 16. Describes the family’s proposed self-funded departure to Türkiye and DHS opposition at that time. Later docket 28 includes an unread Voluntary Departure Order; this report does not establish current departure or custody status. Do not reuse its conflicting detention-location detail.
Newsweek reports on the family’s proposed self-funded voluntary departureParagraphs describing the July 1 immigration hearing and proposed voluntary-departure agreement[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Judge vacates the earlier advisory order
Judge Xavier Rodriguez vacates the July 7 order for an omnibus advisory and an ex parte advisory. The docket records the vacating order as ECF 15.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorCourt removes dismissal entry that was docketed in error
Correction
A July 17 docket notice states that an order regarding dismissal was removed because it had been entered in error. The same date records an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The erroneous entry does not establish dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorJudge strikes a government advisory
Judge Xavier Rodriguez ordered a government advisory struck after the government acknowledged that its information had no bearing on petitioners’ status. The ruling concerns that advisory, not every government allegation or the merits of the entire case.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Government submits additional legal authorities
Reaction
The federal respondents submit a second supplemental memorandum attaching a Fourth Circuit decision in Suri. It follows a July 22 memorandum attaching a Mahdawi opinion. The docket records the filings as ECF 19 and 20.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorFamily files a notice with the child's declaration
The family files a notice of changed material facts with a declaration from S.M.H. as an exhibit. The docket records it as ECF 21.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorFamily responds to the government's supplemental authorities
Reaction
Through counsel Tala Alfoqaha, the family files a response to the government's July 22 and July 24 supplemental memoranda. The docket records the response as ECF 22.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in error
August 2026
Family seeks release while habeas petition is pending
The family filed a motion for release on bail pending adjudication of the amended consolidated habeas petition, docket 24, with a supporting memorandum. Filing the request did not itself secure release.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Family responds to the show-cause order
Reaction
The family files a response to the court's July 17 show-cause order, with an exhibit. The docket records the response as ECF 23.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorMaryam Tahmasebi publishes a first-person account of detention
Reaction
Tahmasebi published a first-person essay describing the detention and characterizing it as family-based punishment. She also wrote that the family had requested voluntary departure and that the government opposed it. This records what the August 11 essay said, not the outcome of later departure proceedings.
Source image Maryam Tahmasebi in the image accompanying her essay.
[08]Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”
Authored first-person essay published August 11, 2026, not the magazine's October issue date. It establishes Tahmasebi's account, not independent findings about detention conditions or present legal status. The exact publication time is unknown.
Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essayGovernment files corrected bail response with voluntary-departure exhibit
The government filed a corrected response to the family's bail motion, entry 28, attaching Exhibit A titled Voluntary Departure Order. The exhibit was not available for review, so its terms and whether anyone departed remain unverified.
[05]Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filings
The public docket reproduces the court filing descriptions. Entry 28 identifies an exhibit titled Voluntary Departure Order. The exhibit and entry 30 notice were not available for review. The descriptions establish the filings, without resolving departure terms, changed facts or present custody.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filingsDocket 5:26-cv-03066, entries 5 (May 22), 28 and Exhibit A (August 12), 30 (August 22); entry 30 description also reproduced on PacerMonitorFamily files its reply on release pending adjudication
Reaction
The family files a reply concerning its motion for release while the habeas petition is pending. The reply follows the government's corrected bail response and precedes the court's August 18 denial of interim release. The docket records the reply as ECF 29.
[06]Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entryDocket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in errorCourt denies interim release request without deciding habeas merits
Judge Xavier Rodriguez denied motion 24, reasoning that it sought essentially the same ultimate relief as the merits and therefore amounted to a request to expedite. He said the petition would receive a ruling in due course. This was not a merits determination that detention was lawful.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31Hashemi files notice of changed material facts
The docket records Hashemi's Notice of Change in Material Facts concerning the amended habeas petition, entry 30, filed by attorney Curtis Morrison. The notice's contents were not available for review; the filing alone does not establish a custody or departure outcome.
[05]Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filings
The public docket reproduces the court filing descriptions. Entry 28 identifies an exhibit titled Voluntary Departure Order. The exhibit and entry 30 notice were not available for review. The descriptions establish the filings, without resolving departure terms, changed facts or present custody.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filingsDocket 5:26-cv-03066, entries 5 (May 22), 28 and Exhibit A (August 12), 30 (August 22); entry 30 description also reproduced on PacerMonitor
September 2026
Concerned scientists urge Rubio to reconsider the family's case
Reaction
The Committee of Concerned Scientists published a letter to Rubio signed by four co-chairs. It asked him to withdraw the determination insofar as it rested on family ties rather than individual conduct, and urged release during proceedings absent evidence of a genuine security or flight risk.
Source image Logo shown on the Committee of Concerned Scientists letter.
[03]Committee of Concerned Scientists
Primary institutional letter dated September 8. It opposes family-based punishment and seeks individualized proceedings and release absent individual risk evidence. Its legal conclusions and residence-status terminology remain the organization's assertions, not independent findings.
Committee of Concerned Scientists letter concerning detention of an Iranian-American family · Committee of Concerned ScientistsOrganization letter addressed to Secretary RubioPetitioners submit supplemental legal authority
The docket records a notice of supplemental legal authority, entry 31. The notice’s full contents were not obtained. Its filing establishes litigation activity, not any family member’s current custody or removal status.
Source image Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
[04]Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What was said
Attributed statement
U.S. Department of State
The U.S. State Department said it terminated the family members’ lawful permanent resident status and that they were in ICE custody pending removal.
Sources (1)
- State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custodyParagraphs naming Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son
Attributed statement
Maryam Tahmasebi said her family asked to leave the United States voluntarily, but the government opposed the request. This describes her August 11 account, not the outcome of later departure proceedings.
Sources (3)
- Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essay
- Newsweek reports on the family’s proposed self-funded voluntary departureParagraphs describing the July 1 immigration hearing and proposed voluntary-departure agreement
- BBC News report on Tahmasebi’s detention and legal challengeQuoted statements from Maria Kari and a State Department spokesman
What's disputed
Disputed claim
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
The family's presence in the United States posed a clear threat to U.S. national security and foreign-policy interests.
Sources (1)
- NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
Disputed claim
The family is being punished for a relative's actions rather than its members' own conduct.
Sources (1)
- Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essay
Disputed claim
As of August 19, 2026, no U.S. government agency had presented evidence supporting its allegations that the family posed a national-security threat.
Sources (2)
- 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
Disputed claim
Allowing people with close ties to senior Iranian officials associated with anti-U.S. activities to remain could be exploited for Iranian government propaganda and would undermine U.S. deterrence.
Sources (1)
- AP original interviews on the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s detention and removal disputeFriends call the arrests a ‘witch hunt’; Eyes turn to relatives of Iranian officials; State Department response
Disputed claim
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Remaining in immigration detention is a choice; app-based voluntary departure offers an alternative.
Sources (1)
- DHS and Curtis Morrison dispute whether CBP Home offers the family a departure optionParagraphs beginning “A DHS spokesperson, when asked to comment on the family's request” through Curtis Morrison’s response about CBP Home eligibility
Show fewer disputed claims
Disputed claim
As of the August 19, 2026 report, the family was not eligible to use the CBP Home departure program suggested by DHS.
Sources (1)
- DHS and Curtis Morrison dispute whether CBP Home offers the family a departure optionParagraphs beginning “A DHS spokesperson, when asked to comment on the family's request” through Curtis Morrison’s response about CBP Home eligibility
Disputed claim
The government attempted to revoke the family's green cards without notifying them or providing due process.
Sources (1)
- Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essay
Disputed claim
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Immigration detainees have their claims heard and receive due process.
Sources (1)
- NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
Disputed claim
An online petition and public campaigning contributed to the government's decision to arrest the family.
Sources (1)
- Maria Kari criticizes advocacy celebrating her clients’ detentionOriginal post introducing the thread
Arguments
Editorial analysis
DI editorial reconstruction of the State Department’s response and the Institute for Voices of Liberty petition.
For the government’s foreign-policy rationale
The strongest version of the government’s position is that residence status and removal involve foreign-policy judgments, not only criminal convictions. Supporters argue that continued access to U.S. residence by people materially connected to senior Iranian officials can undermine deterrence or facilitate political messaging. The Institute for Voices of Liberty pairs support for defending the government’s determinations with demands for lawful proceedings, transparency and individual review on documented evidence.
Limit of this argument
A relative’s conduct does not by itself prove wrongdoing by a spouse, child or grandchild. The petition’s demand for individualized evidence is a substantive qualification, and neither this argument nor the cited sources establishes the lawfulness of prolonged detention or resolves the family’s litigation.
Read sources and related claim
Related claim
Allowing people with close ties to senior Iranian officials associated with anti-U.S. activities to remain could be exploited for Iranian government propaganda and would undermine U.S. deterrence.
Sources
- AP original interviews on the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s detention and removal disputeFriends call the arrests a ‘witch hunt’; Eyes turn to relatives of Iranian officials; State Department response
- Institute for Voices of Liberty petition on the family’s removal proceedingsThe Issue; numbered requests 1–6; petition creation date
- State Department announcement concerning the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s residency status and ICE custodyParagraphs naming Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son
Editorial analysis
DI editorial reconstruction of the family’s account, its lawyers’ objections, Ali Dadpay’s essay and the Committee of Concerned Scientists letter.
Against a family-based justification for detention
The strongest objection is that the government should justify coercive action by reference to each person’s own circumstances and evidence, rather than treating family relationships as inherited guilt. Critics distinguish the conduct of an Iranian official decades earlier from that of her adult son, daughter-in-law and grandson. Due process and an individualized explanation are particularly important where detention separates a family and affects a child.
Limit of this argument
The absence of a U.S. criminal charge does not alone resolve every immigration or foreign-policy question. The objections are not a court determination that the detention is unlawful; the August 18 order denied interim release without deciding the underlying habeas merits, and separate departure and changed-facts documents remain unread.
Read sources and related claim
Related claim
Allowing people with close ties to senior Iranian officials associated with anti-U.S. activities to remain could be exploited for Iranian government propaganda and would undermine U.S. deterrence.
Sources
- Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essay
- Committee of Concerned Scientists letter concerning detention of an Iranian-American family · Committee of Concerned ScientistsOrganization letter addressed to Secretary Rubio
- Ali Dadpay rejects collective punishment while challenging the family’s portrayalOpening paragraphs and concluding discussion of individual responsibility
- NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statement
- Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
4 matching responses. Newest first.
U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityDepartment spokesperson responding to the BBCDirectly involvedBefore this statement
The BBC asked DHS to comment on the family's request to leave the United States voluntarily.
"Being in detention is a choice"
Defended or excusedCase context: Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
Full statement and sources
DHS told the BBC that detention was a choice and directed it to the CBP Home departure program when asked about this family's voluntary-departure request. Family attorney Curtis Morrison disputed their eligibility for that program.
After the statement
Morrison told the BBC that the family members were lawful permanent residents and were not eligible to use the app. The report was published August 19 and does not establish their later departure status.
DHS and Curtis Morrison dispute whether CBP Home offers the family a departure optionParagraphs beginning “A DHS spokesperson, when asked to comment on the family's request” through Curtis Morrison’s response about CBP Home eligibilityWhy this label?
The reference point is whether ICE detained the family for what Eissa Hashemi's mother did. Asked about the family's request to leave, DHS says "Being in detention is a choice" and points them to its departure program, presenting continued detention as the family's own choice. That defends the detention, so we labeled it Defended or excused. The closest competing label is Explicitly declined; it loses because DHS gives a reason for the detention rather than refusing to discuss it.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
- U.S. Department of Homeland SecurityU.S. Department of Homeland Security statement quoted in reportingDirectly involved
Before this statement
NBC Los Angeles reported competing statements from the family’s lawyers and DHS about the detention.
"ICE law enforcement officers successfully apprehended all three individuals whose presence in the United States posed a clear threat to our national security and foreign policy."
Defended or excusedResponding to: The family's presence in the United States posed a clear threat to U.S. national security and foreign-policy interests.
Full statement and sources
A DHS statement quoted by NBC Los Angeles defended the arrest and asserted that the family posed a clear national-security and foreign-policy threat.
After the statement
DHS’s asserted threat is recorded as an attributed agency claim, not a conclusion established by this record.
NBC Los Angeles report on the family’s ICE detentionInterviews with Maria Kari and Hassan Ahmad; DHS statementWhy this label?
The statement explicitly justifies the action on asserted national-security and foreign-policy grounds.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Maryam TahmasebiFamily member and author of the cited first-person essayDirectly involved Before this statement
Tahmasebi described the family’s detention and separation in a first-person essay.
"This is bloodline punishment."
CondemnedCase context: Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
Full statement and sources
Tahmasebi condemned the detention and characterized it as punishment based on family relationship.
After the statement
Her August 11 authored account does not establish present detention conditions or legal status.
Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”First-person essayWhy this label?
Her first-person essay explicitly labels the action as bloodline punishment.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Marco RubioU.S. secretary of stateDirectly involvedBefore this statement
After recounting Masoumeh Ebtekar’s role during the 1979 hostage crisis, Rubio said he had terminated the family’s residency status.
"Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country. America can never become home for anti-American terrorists or their families — and under the Trump Administration, it never will."
Defended or excusedCase context: Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
Full statement and sources
Rubio defended the action and said the family should not have benefited from living in the United States.
After the statement
Rubio stated a broader position that the United States should not become home to anti-American terrorists or their families.
Secretary Marco Rubio’s April 11, 2026 X post about the Hashemi–Tahmasebi familyX post ID 2042961146307547296Why this label?
The post expressly defends the action and gives Rubio’s stated rationale for removal.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(41)
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.
- Author
- U.S. Department of State
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Press release graphic from the State Department announcement.
Original text
Tahmasebi v. Mullin July 17 correction of an erroneous dismissal entry
Relevant passage: Docket 5:26-cv-03066; July 17 Notice of Correction stating that the dismissal order was removed because it was docketed in error
About this source
The public docket reproduces a July 17 notice removing an order regarding dismissal that had been entered in error. The same date includes an order to show cause with an August 17 response deadline. The correction is not a dismissal of the family's habeas petition.
- Author
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
The Story Maryam Tahmasebi Didn't Tell The Nation
Relevant passage: Section Is This Really a Story About Bloodline; paragraph beginning But The Nation, sentence beginning Tahmasebi has constructed
Excerpt
"Tahmasebi has constructed a version of her story that leaves out facts that complicate the narrative of “bloodline punishment.”"
About this source
Moein challenged Tahmasebi's account of punishment based on family ties, citing the adults' statements and professional connections. She expressly said the evidence did not establish that either detained adult worked for Iranian intelligence.
- Author
- Shima T. Moein
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Bill Kristol responds to Tim Miller's account of the Hashemi family detention
Excerpt
"Must read--an infuriating read--from @Timodc ."
About this source
Kristol called Miller's account an infuriating read and urged readers to read it. The following passage describing the family's confinement is a quotation from Miller, not Kristol's original wording.
- Author
- Bill Kristol
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Joe Walsh condemns the Hashemi family detention
Excerpt
"This is not public safety. It is bloodline punishment, family separation and calculated cruelty."
About this source
Walsh shared Maryam Tahmasebi's essay and condemned her family's detention and separation. His descriptions of immigration status and departure efforts are his account at the time. The State Department had announced termination of the family's permanent residency in April.
- Author
- Joe Walsh
- Published
- Accessed
Original text
Tahmasebi v. Mullin docket entries on the amended petition and August filings
Relevant passage: Docket 5:26-cv-03066, entries 5 (May 22), 28 and Exhibit A (August 12), 30 (August 22); entry 30 description also reproduced on PacerMonitor
About this source
The public docket reproduces the court filing descriptions. Entry 28 identifies an exhibit titled Voluntary Departure Order. The exhibit and entry 30 notice were not available for review. The descriptions establish the filings, without resolving departure terms, changed facts or present custody.
- Author
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
- Accessed
Original post
Curtis Morrison questions DHS about six months of Hashemi family detention
Excerpt
"If what makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is whether or not they are illegally in the U.S., why have you detained Eissa Hashemi, his wife, and minor child in Texas now for 6 months?"
About this source
Morrison, an attorney for the family, questioned why DHS had detained Hashemi, his wife and their son for six months. He replied to a DHS thread about a separate New York shooting. His post reports ongoing detention as counsel; it does not establish a new court ruling.
- Author
- Curtis Morrison
- Published
- Accessed
Emailed statement
Emailed statement from Nirav Sheth's campaign to Dispute Index declining to comment on the Hashemi-Tahmasebi detention
Emailed statement from Nirav Sheth's campaign to Dispute Index declining to comment on the Hashemi-Tahmasebi detention
Hi Ben, Thanks for reaching out about this matter. My campaign generally does not comment on individual immigration cases without comprehensive information. As a candidate, my focus regarding immigration is on broad policy changes that promote fairness and accountability. Therefore, we will decline to comment further on this specific case. Sincerely, Nirav Sheth Candidate, Washington's 7th Congressional District
Full email
Hi Ben, Thanks for reaching out about this matter. My campaign generally does not comment on individual immigration cases without comprehensive information. As a candidate, my focus regarding immigration is on broad policy changes that promote fairness and accountability. Therefore, we will decline to comment further on this specific case. Sincerely, Nirav Sheth Candidate, Washington's 7th Congressional District
Relevant passage: Emailed statement from Nirav Sheth's campaign, September 28, 2026.
Excerpt
"My campaign generally does not comment on individual immigration cases without comprehensive information. As a candidate, my focus regarding immigration is on broad policy changes that promote fairness and accountability. Therefore, we will decline to comment further on this specific case."
About this source
Emailed reply from Nirav Sheth's campaign, a Republican candidate challenging Rep. Pramila Jayapal in Washington's 7th Congressional District, to a Dispute Index question asking his position on the detention and removal proceedings of Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi and their son, and whether he would support congressional oversight or a public accounting from ICE and the State Department if elected.
- Author
- Nirav Sheth campaign
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
StopAntisemitism’s April 12, 2026 X post about Hashemi and Tahmasebi
Excerpt
"Iranian Islamic Regime family members continue to get the boot from the U.S."
About this source
Original organizational X post quote-posting Secretary Rubio’s announcement. It establishes StopAntisemitism’s endorsement, not the factual premises used to justify the action.
- Author
- StopAntisemitism
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Photograph attached to StopAntisemitism’s cited X post.
Original text
David Wallace-Wells, “Keep Your Eye on ICE”
Relevant passage: Paragraphs identifying humanitarian outrages and recounting Tahmasebi’s family detention
Excerpt
"A large-scale deportation program is producing humanitarian outrages that used to pull liberal America’s attention into focus."
About this source
Wallace-Wells’s authored opinion column establishes his condemnation. Details attributed to Tahmasebi’s open letter are preserved as her account rather than independently verified findings.
- Author
- David Wallace-Wells
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Illustration accompanying David Wallace-Wells’s New York Times Opinion column.
Original text
Danielle Pletka, “These Relatives of Foreign Thugs Called America Home. No More.”
Relevant passage: Opinion column paragraphs discussing Hashemi’s family and the concluding qualification
Excerpt
"Americans don’t believe in corruption of the blood. But neither do they want to provide a home to terrorists or their progeny."
About this source
Pletka’s authored opinion column supports attribution of her mixed position. Its claims about the family and immigration policy are not treated as independently established facts.
- Author
- Danielle Pletka
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)A car decorated with floral tributes and a portrait of Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani in Tehran on March 22.
Original text
Kim Wehle, “Can the Government Really Just Lock People Up Without Due Process?”
Relevant passage: Opening paragraphs and sections addressing the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family
Excerpt
"I recently read a disturbing essay that jolted me back into the dark reality."
About this source
Wehle’s authored legal commentary. It establishes her criticism and legal analysis; factual details about the family remain attributed where the article relies on Tahmasebi’s account.
- Author
- Kim Wehle
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Dispute Index source card for Kim Wehle’s cited legal analysis.
Original video
Strict Scrutiny, “All the President’s Henchmen”
Relevant passage: Approximately 51:32 in the episode
Excerpt
"There was a wrenching account from Dilley, Texas by a professor, Mariam Tomasebi. It is appalling."
About this source
Original Crooked Media episode page for Shaw’s directly attributed remarks. The public transcript spells Tahmasebi’s name phonetically; the identification is clear from the episode notes and linked essay.
- Author
- Kate Shaw
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Series artwork for the cited Strict Scrutiny episode.
Interview
DHS and Curtis Morrison dispute whether CBP Home offers the family a departure option
Relevant passage: Paragraphs beginning “A DHS spokesperson, when asked to comment on the family's request” through Curtis Morrison’s response about CBP Home eligibility
Excerpt
"Being in detention is a choice."
About this source
BBC's original request for a DHS comment on this family's departure request and the response from family attorney Curtis Morrison. DHS offered general language about detention being a choice and directed the BBC to the CBP Home program; Morrison said the family was not eligible. These statements establish a dispute, not proof that the program was available to this family or a determination of their legal status. The article was published August 19, 2026; exact statement times are unknown. The August 12 departure-order exhibit and August 22 changed-facts notice have not been reviewed, so these historical assertions do not establish later eligibility, departure or custody status. This is the same BBC report as source361 at a distinct statement locator, not independent corroboration.
- Author
- Kayla Epstein
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)BBC describes the image as ICE agents patrolling an airport; the frame also shows a CBP officer.
Interview
Pierce College follow-up interviews on Tahmasebi’s detention
Relevant passage: Denise Robb’s directly attributed comments and Aracely Aguiar’s account of class arrangements
About this source
Original campus interviews published May 12, updated June 25. Exact interview dates are unknown. Broad detention-condition criticism is opinion and allegation, not verified findings about this family.
- Author
- Emily Garcia
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Publisher artwork shown with the Pierce Media Arts follow-up interview.
Interview
Pierce College faculty respond to Tahmasebi’s detention
Relevant passage: Original coverage of the April 13 Academic Senate meeting and directly attributed faculty comments
About this source
Original campus reporting and a meeting photograph support attribution of the faculty responses. Pillado's meeting date is April 13; the dates of the other comments are not given. Individual faculty comments are not a formally adopted college or union position.
- Author
- James Mondares; Emily Garcia contributed
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Pierce College Academic Senate President Margarita Pillado speaks at an Academic Senate meeting on April 13, 2026.
Original post
Curtis Morrison attributes a role in the arrests to media amplification
About this source
Original attorney reply. Morrison asserts that media amplification was a factor in the detention. The linked article’s chronology and any causal role are not independently established by this reply.
- Author
- Curtis Morrison
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Preview image displayed with Curtis Morrison’s cited X post.
Original post
Maria Kari criticizes advocacy celebrating her clients’ detention
Excerpt
"I am saddened to see certain members of the Iranian diaspora celebrating our clients' detention."
About this source
Original post by a family attorney. She criticizes the detention and argues online campaigning contributed to it. That causal assertion is attributed, not independently established.
- Author
- Maria Kari
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Maria Kari’s profile image on the X post cited by this source.
Original video
Tim Miller’s September 9 opening monologue on attention to the family’s detention
About this source
Original episode and transcript. Miller discusses the family, correspondence and lack of attention. No separate case-specific Jessica Tarlov position was verified. Extracted transcript lacks second-level timestamps.
- Author
- Tim Miller / The Bulwark
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Thumbnail for Tim Miller’s September 9 Bulwark Daily monologue.
Official statement
Tahmasebi v. Mullin federal docket and text-only procedural orders
Relevant passage: 5:26-cv-03066; May 10 and May 14 entries; July 22 text order; August 3 motion 24; August 18 text order; August 22 notice 30; September 9 notice 31
About this source
Reproduction of federal docket entries, cross-checked against CourtListener docket 73321113. Text-only orders establish their procedural rulings, not the merits of the family’s claims. August 12 attachment Voluntary Departure Order and August 22 changed-facts notice were not read; titles do not establish current custody or departure status. A July 17 dismissal entry was expressly removed as docketed in error.
- Author
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas; reproduced by PacerMonitor
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Dispute Index source card for the federal docket and procedural orders.
Reporting
Newsweek reports on the family’s proposed self-funded voluntary departure
Relevant passage: Paragraphs describing the July 1 immigration hearing and proposed voluntary-departure agreement
Excerpt
"a stipulated order of removal, with continued detention"
About this source
Original reporting based on filings obtained by Newsweek and direct interviews; updated July 16. Describes the family’s proposed self-funded departure to Türkiye and DHS opposition at that time. Later docket 28 includes an unread Voluntary Departure Order; this report does not establish current departure or custody status. Do not reuse its conflicting detention-location detail.
- Author
- Billal Rahman
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Masoumeh Ebtekar and her son Seyed Eissa Hashemi in the image accompanying Newsweek’s report.
Original post
Edward Wong challenges the justification for the family’s detention
Excerpt
"none of whom have done anything wrong"
About this source
Original public post establishing Wong’s personal response. His assertion is attributed, not an independent finding and not a New York Times institutional position.
- Author
- Edward Wong
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Edward Wong’s profile image on the X post cited by this source.
Interview
AP original interviews on the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family’s detention and removal dispute
Relevant passage: Friends call the arrests a ‘witch hunt’; Eyes turn to relatives of Iranian officials; State Department response
About this source
AP original reporting and direct interviews, updated May 19 at 1:40 p.m. EDT. NewsNation republished the same report, so the two versions are not independent corroboration. Statements remain attributed; the exact interview times are unknown.
- Author
- Associated Press
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)The entrance to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
Original text
Institute for Voices of Liberty petition on the family’s removal proceedings
Relevant passage: The Issue; numbered requests 1–6; petition creation date
Excerpt
"Continue defending the Secretary of State’s determinations through every lawful stage."
About this source
The petition names Hashemi and Tahmasebi and supports continued defense of the government’s determinations. It also respects court authority and due process, requests individualized documented-evidence review, and seeks detention-cost disclosure. Not unconditional approval of prolonged detention. Distinct from Iranian Americans for Liberty.
- Author
- The Institute for Voices of Liberty
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Campaign artwork accompanying the petition cited by this source.
Analysis
Arwa Mahdawi responds to Tahmasebi’s account in the Guardian
Relevant passage: Subsection: ICE is locking people up for things their grandmother did
Excerpt
"Do take the time to read this shocking piece"
About this source
Primary record of the columnist’s own response. She relies on Tahmasebi’s essay for the underlying family account. This is Mahdawi’s position, not an institutional Guardian editorial. Publication day verified; exact time unknown.
- Author
- Arwa Mahdawi
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Dispute Index source card for Arwa Mahdawi’s cited Guardian column.
Original post
Ali Dadpay rejects collective punishment while challenging the family’s portrayal
Excerpt
"After all, there should be no collective punishment. But that does not mean there should be collective amnesia."
About this source
Original essay responding to Tahmasebi. Dadpay explicitly rejects inherited guilt and defends due process while arguing that Iranian history and other victims belong in the account. His historical and numerical allegations are not adopted by us as findings.
- Author
- Ali Dadpay
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Image attached to Ali Dadpay’s cited X post.
Original post
Hananya Naftali welcomes the April action against the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family
Excerpt
"Long-overdue accountability."
About this source
Original post explicitly discusses the family’s arrests and welcomes the action. It establishes Naftali’s approving position, not personal wrongdoing by the detained family.
- Author
- Hananya Naftali
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Video thumbnail attached to Hananya Naftali’s cited X post.
Original video
Tim Miller’s August 13 Bulwark video on the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family
Excerpt
"We have internment camps in this country."
About this source
Original Bulwark video and transcript. Miller compares the family’s detention to internment and urges viewers to contact representatives. The comparison and asserted illegality are his positions, not judicial findings. Automated captions misrender Tahmasebi’s name; the transcript is not a reliable spelling source.
- Author
- Tim Miller / The Bulwark
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Thumbnail for Tim Miller’s August 13 Bulwark video.
Reporting
Texas Tribune report on extended family detention at Dilley
Relevant passage: Discussion of the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family and Curtis Morrison’s comments
Excerpt
"It is shameful that Secretary Rubio takes the position that children should be held accountable for the acts of their parents and grandparents"
About this source
Reporting source on family detention at Dilley. It is used to attribute remarks by the family’s attorney and to provide reported detention context; it does not resolve the underlying legal dispute.
- Author
- Texas Tribune
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley on January 28, 2026.
Original post
Lawdan Bazargan’s August 13, 2026 X post challenging Tahmasebi’s account
Excerpt
"Whatever one thinks about Tahmasebi’s current treatment in the United States"
About this source
Original public post challenging elements of Tahmasebi’s account. It does not itself explicitly endorse detention or removal.
- Author
- Lawdan Bazargan
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Video thumbnail attached to Lawdan Bazargan’s cited X post.
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.
- Author
- New York Post
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Eissa Hashemi, left, in a photograph published by the New York Post.
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.
- Author
- Iranian Americans for Liberty
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Graphic attached to Iranian Americans for Liberty’s cited X post.
Original post
Masih Alinejad’s April 11, 2026 X reply to Secretary Rubio
Excerpt
"Thank you @SecRubio for finally hearing the voice of Iranians."
About this source
Original public reply supporting government action. The post supports revocation/removal in general terms and does not independently establish facts about detention conditions.
- Author
- Masih Alinejad
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Video thumbnail attached to Masih Alinejad’s cited X reply.
Original post
Faisal Kutty’s August 13, 2026 X post about the family’s detention
Excerpt
"Kafkaesque. Bloodline punishment."
About this source
Original public post. It is primary evidence of Kutty’s response, not independent verification of the factual allegations referenced.
- Author
- Faisal Kutty
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Image attached to Faisal Kutty’s cited X post.
Official statement
Committee of Concerned Scientists letter concerning detention of an Iranian-American family
Relevant passage: Organization letter addressed to Secretary Rubio
About this source
Primary institutional letter dated September 8. It opposes family-based punishment and seeks individualized proceedings and release absent individual risk evidence. Its legal conclusions and residence-status terminology remain the organization's assertions, not independent findings.
- Author
- Committee of Concerned Scientists
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Logo shown on the Committee of Concerned Scientists letter.
Analysis
Tim Miller, “Marco Rubio Is Punishing a Teenage Boy for His Grandmother’s Sins”
Relevant passage: Bylined essay by Tim Miller.
Excerpt
"We are imprisoning Maryam, Eissa, and their teenage son not because they are a threat to national security."
About this source
Primary record of Miller’s editorial position. The factual assertions in the essay are not treated as established solely because Miller made them.
- Author
- Tim Miller
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Illustration published with Tim Miller’s Bulwark column about the family.
Reporting
Associated Press report on the family seeking release
Relevant passage: Statements by Curtis Morrison, Stephanie Knox, Jake Hart, Tommy Pigott, Kiyanoush Razaghi, and Masih Alinejad
Excerpt
"There’s no specific allegations related to these three individuals other than their familial relationship."
About this source
Associated Press reporting republished by NewsNation. It is used to attribute named speakers’ responses, not to establish the disputed claims themselves.
- Author
- Amy Taxin and Adam Geller, Associated Press
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)The entrance to the South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas.
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.
- Author
- Darsha Philips
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)The Hashemi–Tahmasebi family in an image published with NBC Los Angeles’s report; the child’s face remains obscured.
Original text
Maryam Tahmasebi, “One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE Detention”
Relevant passage: First-person essay
About this source
Authored first-person essay published August 11, 2026, not the magazine's October issue date. It establishes Tahmasebi's account, not independent findings about detention conditions or present legal status. The exact publication time is unknown.
- Author
- Maryam Tahmasebi
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Maryam Tahmasebi in the image accompanying her essay.
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.
- Author
- BBC News
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)BBC describes the image as ICE agents patrolling an airport; the frame also shows a CBP officer.
Original post
Secretary Marco Rubio’s April 11, 2026 X post about the Hashemi–Tahmasebi family
Excerpt
"Her family should never have been allowed to benefit from the extraordinary privilege of living in our country."
About this source
Original public post stating Rubio’s position after the announcement. The source supports attribution of the position to Rubio, not its factual premises.
- Author
- Secretary Marco Rubio
- Published
- Accessed
(opens in a new tab)Marco Rubio’s profile image on the X post cited by this source.
Corrections
(8)
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.
Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Jennifer Moses
- Previous classification
- Challenges the characterization. The statement disputes the claimed justification, characterization or causal account without converting the speaker’s assertion into a finding.
- Corrected classification
- Condemns. Moses links the absence of wrongdoing with a normative due-process objection in the same response. This is substantive criticism, not only a competing factual description.
We corrected the editorial classification of Jennifer Moses's response about The detention and due process afforded to the family. Moses links the absence of wrongdoing with a normative due-process objection in the same response. This is substantive criticism, not only a competing factual description. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
Original campus reporting and a meeting photograph support attribution of the faculty responses. Pillado's meeting date is April 13; the dates of the other comments are not given. Individual faculty comments are not a formally adopted college or union position.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Institute for Voices of Liberty
- Previous classification
- Mixed or conditional. The statement combines an explicit qualification with a competing concern; reducing it to unconditional support or opposition would misrepresent its context.
- Corrected classification
- Defends or excuses. The petition supports continuing the determinations. Due process and transparency requirements describe how to proceed; it neither withholds present support nor opposes a distinct part of this family’s treatment.
We corrected the editorial classification of Institute for Voices of Liberty's response about Pursuing and defending the family’s removal. The petition supports continuing the determinations. Due process and transparency requirements describe how to proceed; it neither withholds present support nor opposes a distinct part of this family’s treatment. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
The petition names Hashemi and Tahmasebi and supports continued defense of the government’s determinations. It also respects court authority and due process, requests individualized documented-evidence review, and seeks detention-cost disclosure. Not unconditional approval of prolonged detention. Distinct from Iranian Americans for Liberty.
Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Margarita Pillado
- Previous classification
- Challenges the characterization. The statement disputes the claimed justification, characterization or causal account without converting the speaker’s assertion into a finding.
- Corrected classification
- Condemns. The full report attributes concern about lack of due process, beyond the selected statement about no wrongdoing. This is substantive procedural criticism of the detention.
We corrected the editorial classification of Margarita Pillado's response about Detaining the professor without due process. The full report attributes concern about lack of due process, beyond the selected statement about no wrongdoing. This is substantive procedural criticism of the detention. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
Original campus reporting and a meeting photograph support attribution of the faculty responses. Pillado's meeting date is April 13; the dates of the other comments are not given. Individual faculty comments are not a formally adopted college or union position.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Ali Dadpay
- Previous classification
- Mixed or conditional. The statement combines an explicit qualification with a competing concern; reducing it to unconditional support or opposition would misrepresent its context.
- Corrected classification
- Condemns. The full post repeatedly rejects punishing this husband, wife and child by ancestry. His separate demand for fuller historical context does not qualify that rejection.
We corrected the editorial classification of Ali Dadpay's response about Punishing this family for relatives’ conduct. The full post repeatedly rejects punishing this husband, wife and child by ancestry. His separate demand for fuller historical context does not qualify that rejection. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
Original essay responding to Tahmasebi. Dadpay explicitly rejects inherited guilt and defends due process while arguing that Iranian history and other victims belong in the account. His historical and numerical allegations are not adopted by us as findings.
Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Hassan Ahmad
- Previous classification
- Challenges the characterization. The statement contests the characterization and asserted legal basis of the action.
- Corrected classification
- Condemns. In this same interview Ahmad goes beyond identifying the legal theory: he insists collective punishment must stop and criticizes the child’s confinement. Legal analysis does not erase substantive condemnation.
We corrected the editorial classification of Hassan Ahmad's response about Family-based detention and prolonged confinement. In this same interview Ahmad goes beyond identifying the legal theory: he insists collective punishment must stop and criticizes the child’s confinement. Legal analysis does not erase substantive condemnation. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
Reporting source for competing lawyer and DHS statements. Quoted assertions remain attributed to their speakers.
Classification correction
Correction to: Statement by Masih Alinejad
- Previous classification
- Mixed or conditional. The reply supports government action in context but conditions its stated rationale on support for terror, which this record does not attribute to the family as fact.
- Corrected classification
- Defends or excuses. Her full reply thanks Rubio and separates the named family from victims who should be protected. Protecting a different group is not an unresolved condition on her approval of this action.
We corrected the editorial classification of Masih Alinejad's response about Rubio’s action against this family. Her full reply thanks Rubio and separates the named family from victims who should be protected. Protecting a different group is not an unresolved condition on her approval of this action. This corrects our labeling, not a later change in the speaker's position.
This corrects an editorial classification.
Original public reply supporting government action. The post supports revocation/removal in general terms and does not independently establish facts about detention conditions.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Statement by Marco Rubio
- Previous language
- Rubio's statement was linked to a disputed-claim record describing the State Department's announcement of residency-status termination and ICE custody.
- Corrected language
- That disputed-claim link is removed. The State Department announcement remains documented in the case's timeline and original source. Rubio's quotation, date, sources, context and reaction classification are unchanged.
The linked record described a documented announcement, not the substantive proposition under dispute. This corrects the editorial relationship without revising Rubio's historical statement.
This corrects our account of what happened.
Original public post stating Rubio’s position after the announcement. The source supports attribution of the position to Rubio, not its factual premises.
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.
Reporting correction
Correction to: Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
- Previous language
- The case's disputed claims included the State Department's announcement that it had terminated the family's residency status and placed the family in ICE custody, and Tahmasebi's account that the government opposed a voluntary-departure request. Several other entries described who said something rather than stating the proposition being argued.
- Corrected language
- The announcement and departure-request history belong in the dated timeline, not the disputed-claims list. The revised claims state the attributed propositions about national-security risk, family-based punishment, evidence presented, foreign-policy consequences, departure options, due process and the alleged influence of online campaigning.
We incorrectly grouped documented announcements and procedural history with the propositions contested in this case. We have removed those two entries from the public claims list while preserving their editorial history and underlying sources, tightened the remaining claim text, and added previously omitted points of disagreement. These changes do not decide the family's legal status, whether the government possesses undisclosed evidence, or whether departure was available after the dated statements. Original quotations remain unchanged.
This corrects our account of what happened.
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.
Independent reporting that presents the government and legal-team positions. It supports attribution of the quotations, not resolution of the underlying legal dispute.
Authored first-person essay published August 11, 2026, not the magazine's October issue date. It establishes Tahmasebi's account, not independent findings about detention conditions or present legal status. The exact publication time is unknown.
Reporting source for competing lawyer and DHS statements. Quoted assertions remain attributed to their speakers.
AP original reporting and direct interviews, updated May 19 at 1:40 p.m. EDT. NewsNation republished the same report, so the two versions are not independent corroboration. Statements remain attributed; the exact interview times are unknown.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original reporting based on filings obtained by Newsweek and direct interviews; updated July 16. Describes the family’s proposed self-funded departure to Türkiye and DHS opposition at that time. Later docket 28 includes an unread Voluntary Departure Order; this report does not establish current departure or custody status. Do not reuse its conflicting detention-location detail.
Original post by a family attorney. She criticizes the detention and argues online campaigning contributed to it. That causal assertion is attributed, not independently established.
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- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/us-termination-hashemi-tahmasebi-residency-status-ice-detention
The Dispute Index. "Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?". First published: 2026-09-10. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/cases/us-termination-hashemi-tahmasebi-residency-status-ice-detention