Story perspectives

ICE Arrests Professor Linked to Iranian Official, Sparks Protests

4/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

Eissa Hashemi, an adjunct professor in California, was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The arrest caused panic within his family, who initially feared he had been kidnapped.
He is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, an Iranian official linked to the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.
Following the arrest, protests erupted demanding his deportation, with activists claiming his ties to his mother could threaten American values.

1 of 1

Story summary

Eissa Hashemi, an adjunct professor in California, was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The arrest caused panic within his family, who initially feared he had been kidnapped.
He is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, an Iranian official linked to the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis.
Following the arrest, protests erupted demanding his deportation, with activists claiming his ties to his mother could threaten American values.