More than 41,000 people have already signed a petition urging President Trump to deport. WH ‘reviewing’ immigration situation of kin of Iranian ruling elite now living in US
The White House says it is reviewing the immigration status of Iranian nationals who received benefits during the Biden administration, following growing online petitions calling for the removal of relatives connected to Iran’s ruling elite.
More than 41,000 people have signed a Change.org petition urging President Trump to deport Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of a senior Iranian official who currently serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Her father, Ali Larijani, recently posted on social media accusing President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being “the main killers of the people of Iran,” despite Iran’s government being accused of killing thousands of protesters during recent unrest.
Ardeshir-Larijani, a cancer specialist at Emory University in Atlanta, received a green card in 2021 under the Biden administration, according to Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, who spoke to Newsweek on Thursday.
“We are aware of media coverage regarding one of our physicians,” said Andrea Clement, associate director of public relations at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute. “Emory employees are hired in full compliance with all state and federal laws and institutional requirements, including our commitment to patient care, research, and education.”
Another individual drawing online criticism is Eissa Hashemi, a 43-year-old California resident and the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, a former Iranian government figure. Ebtekar, sometimes referred to by critics as “Screaming Mary,” served as a spokeswoman for the militants who seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.
“The Trump Administration is reviewing all immigration benefits granted under the Biden administration to individuals from countries of concern, including Iran,” McLaughlin told Newsweek. Supporters of the petitions argue that it is unacceptable for relatives of Iran’s leadership—whose regime has been accused of violent crackdowns on protesters—to live freely in the United States while ordinary Iranians face repression.
Mersedeh Shahinkar, an Iranian mother living in California who lost her right eye after being shot during a 2021 hijab protest in Iran, welcomed the White House’s review.
She said online discussion about the presence of family members of senior Iranian officials in the U.S. has gained significant attention within the Iranian diaspora. Many, she said, feel anger and disappointment that the children of officials tied to the Islamic Republic are able to live freely in the U.S., often with access to wealth believed to be connected to the regime.
“The Islamic Republic and its senior officials are designated by the U.S. government as part of a state sponsor of terrorism,” Shahinkar said. “While no specific wrongdoing is alleged against their immediate family members, their residence and financial access without proper scrutiny raise serious national security and public trust concerns.”
The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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