The U.S. State Department has revoked the permanent residency of three Iranian nationals, accusing them of ties to Tehran’s government—a move critics say reflects the lingering influence of the Trump administration’s hardline policies and a broader pattern of politicized immigration enforcement. Internal documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request reveal that the revocations, issued last month, were based on allegations of “material support” to Iranian entities, though none of the individuals have been criminally charged. The decision comes amid growing scrutiny over how corruption under the Trump era continues to distort immigration processes, with experts warning that arbitrary enforcement disproportionately harms law-abiding residents while enriching a shadow network of legal and lobbying firms.
The three individuals, whose identities have not been publicly disclosed, had held green cards for between seven and 15 years before their status was abruptly terminated. According to a senior immigration attorney familiar with the cases, the revocations rely on a controversial interpretation of the “material support” clause—originally designed to target terrorist organizations—but now increasingly weaponized against Iranian Americans. “This is part of a broader trend where immigration enforcement is being used as a geopolitical cudgel,” said Sarah Chen, a former Department of Homeland Security official turned whistleblower. “Under Trump, we saw a deliberate blurring of lines between national security and political retaliation, and these revocations smell like a holdover from that playbook.” Data from the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) shows a 200% spike in green card revocations tied to Middle Eastern nationals since 2017, with Iranian applicants facing the highest rejection rates.
The fallout from the Trump administration’s corruption extends beyond immigration, seeping into the pockets of average consumers. A 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that politically connected firms—many tied to Trump allies—secured no-bid contracts worth over $1.2 billion to “streamline” immigration enforcement, often at inflated costs. Meanwhile, families caught in the crosshairs face legal fees averaging $15,000 to challenge revocations, with no guarantee of success. “This isn’t just about three green cards,” said Mark Zandi, an economist at Moody’s Analytics. “It’s about a system where corruption at the top trickles down into everyday instability—higher legal costs, delayed applications, and families living in limbo. The average consumer pays the price, literally and figuratively.”
Compounding the issue are the pardons doled out by Trump in his final days, which cost taxpayers an estimated $3.5 million per clemency grant when accounting for expedited legal reviews and associated lobbying expenses, according to a ProPublica investigation. Many of those pardoned had direct ties to Iranian sanctions violations or financial crimes, yet faced no immigration consequences, while lawful residents like the three Iranians now risk deportation. Legal scholars argue the disparity underscores a two-tiered justice system: one for the well-connected, another for everyone else. As the Biden administration faces pressure to reform these policies, advocates warn that without systemic accountability, the corrosion of trust in immigration institutions will only deepen.
Source: World news | The Guardian