November–December 1979
Federal rule singles out Iranian students for immigration reporting
United States; Iranian nonimmigrant students
During the Iran hostage crisis, a federal rule required Iranian nonimmigrant students in postsecondary education to report their status to immigration authorities. Failure to comply could lead to deportation proceedings. In Narenji v. Civiletti, the D.C. Circuit upheld the rule’s nationality-based classification.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
The regulation was issued November 13 and the appellate decision followed December 27. The holding concerned this specific immigration and foreign-policy measure; it did not authorize every form of discrimination against Iranian people.
Sources
- Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, chapter 21, pp. 572–573; supplied print pages, edition/year unidentified
- Narenji v. Civiletti, 617 F.2d 745: D.C. Circuit opinion ↗