America News Agency

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a statement regarding the cancellation of visas and residence permits granted in the past.

Referring to the past of Masoumeh Ebtekar, known as “Screaming Mary,” Rubio said: “Ebtekar was the spokesperson for Islamist terrorists who stormed the U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979, held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days, beat them, starved them, and carried out mock executions.”

Criticizing the previous administration’s visa policies, Rubio said: “In 2014, the Obama Administration granted entry visas to her son and his family. In June 2016, the Obama Administration granted them lawful permanent residency through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.”

Explaining the new decision, Rubio stated: “This week, I terminated their lawful permanent residency status, and today Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awaiting deportation.”

Rubio concluded: “Their family should never have been allowed to benefit from the privilege of living in our country. America can never be a home for anti-American terrorists or their families, and it will not be under the Trump administration.”