State Dept. opens investigation into deporting Trita Parsi, prominent critic of Trump's Iran war

The 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 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.

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. Opening 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 — risks turning immigration enforcement into a tool for silencing disfavored speech. This entry marks the point at which investigative and removal power was reportedly aimed at a critic in apparent connection with what he said publicly.