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State Department canceled former Emory University professor's visa over father's Iranian government ties, without individual hearing

In January 2026, Emory University announced that Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, an assistant professor at Emory's Rollins School of Public Health, was no longer employed there, after public pressure mounted following disclosure that her father is a senior Iranian government official and after the U.S. sanctioned him on January 15, 2026. In April 2026, the U.S. Department of State canceled her visa, terminating her legal immigration status. No individual adjudication or judicial proceeding preceded the revocation; the cancellation was made on the basis of her familial connection to an Iranian official.

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani was an assistant professor at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health when public pressure mounted following disclosure that her father, Ali Larijani, is a senior official in the Iranian government who has served as head of Iran's human rights council and as a senior judiciary official. The U.S. government sanctioned Larijani on January 15, 2026. On January 22, 2026, U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter publicly called for her removal from Emory. On January 24, 2026, Emory Dean Sandra Wong announced that Ardeshir-Larijani was "no longer a University employee." Emory described the matter as a personnel matter and declined further comment.

Approximately two and a half months after her departure from Emory, the U.S. Department of State canceled her visa in April 2026, terminating her legal immigration status. No individual adjudication, judicial proceeding, or administrative hearing preceded the visa revocation. The cancellation was made on the basis of her familial relationship to an Iranian official rather than any individual finding of wrongdoing or violation of the terms of her status.

Why we recorded this

Due process requires individualized adjudication before the government terminates a person's legal immigration status. The State Department revoked Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani's legal status not because of anything she did but because of her father's identity as an Iranian official — a decision made without any individual hearing or finding of wrongdoing. Stripping someone of lawful status on the basis of a family member's affiliation, without adjudication, constitutes denial of due process in immigration enforcement. The action also reflects extrajudicial punishment: using executive authority to impose a consequential sanction — loss of legal status and expulsion from the country — outside any legal proceeding. The affected individual had established academic ties at a major U.S. research university before her position was eliminated under public pressure tied to her father's identity.

Sources

  1. Daughter of top Iranian official ousted from Emory University after outcry has visa canceled — New York Post investigative accessed July 21, 2026
  2. Emory no longer employs daughter of top Iranian official — The Emory Wheel investigative accessed July 26, 2026

See also