Trump orders visa ban for family members of Iranian officials

Article subtitle: 
Families of those held in Iran have accused Tehran of "hostage taking" and demanded governments take concerted action.
Article CAIRCO note: 
There are at least four Americans currently imprisoned in Iran, yet high ranking Iranians have family living here, enjoying the U.S.A.
Article author: 
Dan De Luce
Article publisher: 
NBC News
Article date: 
25 September 2019
Article category: 
National News
Medium
Article Body: 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered a visa ban on senior Iranian government officials and their family members, barring them from entering the United States to travel, study or work.

The move comes after families of Americans imprisoned in Iran lobbied the White House for years to deny visas to the children or relatives of top-ranking officials in the Iranian government, as NBC News has previously reported.

There are at least four Americans currently imprisoned in Iran and human rights groups and U.N. monitors say the detentions are arbitrary and baseless.

"I have determined that it is in the interest of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of senior government officials of Iran, and their immediate family members," Trump stated in the order.

The families had provided the administration and several lawmakers with a list of Iranian nationals living in the U.S. alleged to be the children or relatives of senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani himself ...

"For years the Iranian regime has criticized and worked against America while at the same time officials of the regime and their family members have quietly taken advantage of America's freedom and prosperity including our excellent educational, employment, entertainment, and cultural opportunities here in the United States," a State Department spokesperson told NBC News ...


CAIRCO Research

Proclamation on the Suspension of Entry as Immigrants and Nonimmigrants of Senior Officials of the Government of Iran Issued on: September 25, 2019, DONALD J. TRUMP

Currently Detained Americans - Iran CNN,  August 27, 2019