Nirav Sheth's campaign declines to comment on the Hashemi-Tahmasebi case
Nirav ShethRepublican candidate for U.S. House in Washington's 7th district, in an emailed statement from his campaign
Nirav Sheth, the Republican candidate challenging Rep. Pramila Jayapal in Washington's 7th Congressional District, declined in an emailed statement to state a position on the detention and removal proceedings of Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi and their son, or on whether he would support congressional oversight or a public accounting from ICE and the State Department. His campaign said it does not comment on individual immigration cases without comprehensive information.
“My campaign generally does not comment on individual immigration cases without comprehensive information. ... Therefore, we will decline to comment further on this specific case.”
Emailed statement
Read the 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
Where this statement fits
Did ICE Detain an Entire Family for What Eissa Hashemi’s Mother Did?
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.
Source and context
Emailed statement
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
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.
Before the quotation
Dispute Index asked Sheth's campaign what his position was on the family's detention and removal proceedings, and whether, if elected, he would support congressional oversight or a public accounting from ICE and the State Department.
After the quotation
Sheth's campaign said it would not comment further on the specific case, and that his focus on immigration is on "broad policy changes that promote fairness and accountability."
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Dispute Index asked Sheth directly for his position on the family's detention and removal proceedings and whether he would support congressional oversight. His campaign explicitly declined to answer, saying it does not comment on individual immigration cases and "will decline to comment further on this specific case." That is a direct refusal to address the matter at issue, not a substantive position, so we labeled it Explicitly Declines.
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More from this case
Read the full caseCurtis Morrison questions DHS about six months of family detention
“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?”Read statement
Tim Miller likens the Tahmasebi-Hashemi family's detention to internment camps
“we're doing internment camps again.”Read statement
Bill Kristol calls the account of the family's detention infuriating
“Must read--an infuriating read--from @Timodc .”Read statement
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- Nirav Sheth's campaign declines to comment on the Hashemi-Tahmasebi case
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The Dispute Index. "Nirav Sheth's campaign declines to comment on the Hashemi-Tahmasebi case". First published: 2026-09-28. Last updated: 2026-09-28. https://disputeindex.com/events/3235-nirav-sheth-the-republican-candidate-challenging-rep-pramila