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L.A. family of green card holders detained for months over relative's 1979 role

Aug 17, 2026 · Los Angeles, CA

L.A. family of green card holders detained for months over relative's 1979 role

Maryam Tahmasebi, a professor at Los Angeles Pierce College; her husband Eissa Seyed Hashemi, an educator; and their 16-year-old son were detained by ICE in Los Angeles in April, and their green cards were revoked. Lawyers say the family was targeted because Eissa's mother, Masoumeh Ebtekar, was a spokesperson for the group that took Americans hostage during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, decades before Eissa or his son were born. Maryam and her son have been held at the Dilley detention center in Texas while Eissa is held at a nearby facility, with the family limited to a 10-minute phone call every two weeks; colleagues describe Maryam as dedicated to her students and community. After more than 120 days in detention, the family offered to voluntarily depart the country but was denied, and their lawyers say the teenage son has been detained far longer than facilities are meant to hold children, describing conditions including black mold and non-potable water at the facility.

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