Ending the Double Standard: Why the U.S. Must Expel Iranian Regime Affiliates and Their Families

Furthermore, the presence of regime-affiliated children and spouses in American society serves as a strategic vulnerability. There is a legitimate concern that these individuals could be leveraged for intelligence gathering or to exert pressure on the Iranian diaspora living in the U.S. Many Iranian-Americans who fled persecution are horrified to find that the children of their oppressors are their classmates or neighbors. By expelling these affiliates, the U.S. would be protecting its own citizens and the genuine refugee community from potential harassment and the long-arm reach of the Islamic Republic’s security apparatus.