Iranian academic writes of US detention 'hell' over link to 1979 hostage crisis

A family in detention

Maryam Tahmasebi, a professor of psychology and statistics in Los Angeles, has described her four months in US immigration detention as "hell," in an essay published in The Nation. She, her husband Seyed Eissa Hashemi, and their teenage son — all lawful permanent residents — were detained by immigration agents in April. Tahmasebi and her son remain at a detention centre in Dilley, Texas, where she wrote from inside the facility with limited email access. Her husband is held at the South Texas Detention Facility in Pearsall. According to Jack Mirkinson, a senior editor at The Nation, Tahmasebi and her lawyer submitted the essay to the magazine.

"We have been put through hell for the past four months, and our physical and mental health have deteriorated in ways that might not be reversible for years," Tahmasebi wrote.

The 1979 connection

The State Department's action centers on Hashemi's mother, Masoumeh Ebtekar, who became known as "Screaming Mary" for her English-language statements as spokesperson for the students who seized the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Ebtekar later held several Iranian government roles, most recently as vice president for women and family affairs; she has not held a government role since 2021.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the revocation of the family's status in April. The State Department cited the family connection to Ebtekar. Tahmasebi's account frames this as "bloodline punishment" — a term quoted in her essay. She wrote that the government had decided to punish her husband for being the son of a woman who was a translator for the hostage takers in 1979, before Hashemi was born.

The family's legal representation maintains that no charges have been brought. Lawyer Maria Kari said the State Department has not charged the family under any national security provision, and no evidence has been presented. Rubio's announcement did not specify wrongdoing or a national security threat by the family.

StateDepartment spokesman Tommy Pigott said the government retains the right to revoke status of those who pose a threat. A federal judge later temporarily blocked the family's deportation. The family has attempted to self-deport, the US government opposed, and DHS refused voluntary departure in July. A DHS spokesperson said: "Being in detention is a choice."

A petition driven by public pressure

While the family remained in detention, an organization advocating for a free Iran, the Institute for Voices of Liberty (IVOL), launched a petition in January demanding that the administration bring the case to a "prompt, lawful and transparent resolution" and disclose the cost of the prolonged detention. The petition has gathered almost 14,000 signatures.

IVOL cited Section 237(a)(4)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and stated that its campaign is not aimed at Iranian Americans but at individuals with "material connection" to senior Iranian officials. The organization respects due process and the authority of the courts. It calls on President Trump, Rubio, the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and the Justice Department to complete proceedings and disclose costs.

Iranian dissidents and activists have spoken out on both sides. Raheleh Amiri, an Iranian dissident, criticized Ebtekar's involvement and contrasted the family's access to the legal system with the treatment of dissidents in Iran. Mersedeh Shahinkar, an Iranian activist, urged followers to sign the petition and expressed "legitimate national security and public trust concerns."

The family's journey and broader context

The family entered the US legally in 2014 and became lawful permanent residents in 2016. They have spent large sums on lawyers fighting removal, and a GoFundMe campaign that raised more than $40,000 was shut down after facing public criticism.

The revocation occurs against the backdrop of other US actions against Iranian connections. According to a report carried by BBC, the US had also revoked the legal status of two Iranian women initially identified as relatives of Qasem Soleimani, a claim later disputed, and the daughter of Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian official, also lost her status. These cases reflect a broader pattern of US officials moving against individuals with ties to those in power in Iran, even when those ties are familial and not necessarily accompanied by evidence of wrongdoing.

Perspectives

• The family and their legal team — argue the revocation is based on family affiliation rather than evidence, emphasize the distress of detention, and maintain that no charges have been filed.
• US authorities — Secretary Rubio and the State Department say the family's status was revoked due to links to an Iranian cornerstone and retain the right to act against those posing a threat; DHS says presence in detention is a matter of choice.
• IVOL and Iranian activist voices — demand swift, transparent, lawful resolution of the case and argue national security and fiscal responsibility, while clarifying the campaign is against ties to Iranian officials, not ordinary Iranian Americans.