State Dept. opens investigation into deporting Trita Parsi, prominent critic of Trump's Iran war
The U.S. State Department has opened an investigation into Trita Parsi — an Iranian-born green-card holder of more than 25 years who co-founded the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the National Iranian American Council — reviewing whether to revoke his permanent residency and pursue deportation, according to The Free Press, which cited U.S. officials and documents it reviewed. Parsi has been among the most frequently quoted public critics of the Trump administration's military campaign against Iran. The State Department said it has "no plans to revoke the green card of Mr. Parsi at this time" but declined to rule out future action.
Actors
- U.S. Department of State
- Marco Rubio (U.S. Secretary of State)
Why we recorded this
In a constitutional democracy, lawful residents do not lose their right to remain in the country because they criticize the government's foreign policy. The First Amendment protects noncitizens, and immigration authority exists to enforce the law, not to punish dissent. When the State Department opens a deportation-oriented investigation into a prominent war critic — weighing whether to strip the green card of someone who has lived in the United States for decades — it risks turning the machinery of immigration enforcement into a tool for silencing disfavored speech. Recording this marks the point at which investigative and removal power was reportedly aimed at a critic in apparent connection with what he said publicly, a recognized form of targeting critics with government power.
Sources
- EXCLUSIVE: The Iran War Critic Under Investigation by the Trump Administration — The Free Press primary accessed June 12, 2026
- Trump Team Investigates How to Deport Major Iran War Critic — The New Republic secondary accessed June 12, 2026
- Report: State Dept. Opens Probe of Iranian-Born Trita Parsi, Critic of Trump's War — Democracy Now! secondary accessed June 12, 2026
- US probes NIAC founder Trita Parsi for possible deportation — Iran International secondary accessed June 12, 2026
See also
- State Department revokes U.S. visas of five La Nación board members in apparent retaliation
- State Department blocked NYC Mayor-elect Mamdani's meeting with Colombia's President Petro
- BIA reinstates deportation proceedings against Columbia activist Mohsen Mahdawi
- State Department adds 12 countries to $15,000 visa-bond program
- State Department declares wartime emergency to bypass Congress on $23B in Mideast arms sales