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ISCR Case 21-01136 — CASE

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ISCR Case 21-01136

A decided public DOHA case, shown for research — not advice or a prediction.

Case Profile
Decision Date6/6/2022
Statusdenied
LevelHEARING
TypeSTANDARD ISCR
Participants
Applicant Representation: Pro Se
Judge: Elizabeth M. Matchinski
Government Counsel: Carroll J. Connelley
Case Summary
the administrative judge ruled on the applicant's security clearance eligibility under Guideline B, which addresses foreign influence concerns. The applicant, a 41-year-old dual citizen of Iran and the United States, faced allegations related to her close family ties in Iran, including her parents and siblings, who are all Iranian citizens. The Statement of Reasons indicated that her brothers had served in the Iranian Army, raising concerns about potential foreign influence.
During the proceedings, the applicant admitted to the allegations regarding her family’s residency and military service but clarified that her brothers were conscripted and no longer affiliated with the military. She expressed her intent to sponsor her family members for immigration to the U.S. and maintained regular contact with them. The applicant argued that her relationships did not pose a security risk, citing her lack of adverse experiences during her travels to Iran and her willingness to renounce her Iranian citizenship if required.
The administrative judge ultimately denied the applicant's request for a security clearance, concluding that her foreign connections and ongoing sponsorship efforts for her family members in Iran were insufficient to mitigate the security concerns. The judge emphasized the potential risks associated with her dual citizenship and the implications of her familial ties to a country identified as a national security threat.
Guidelines Evaluated
- Guideline BForeign Influence · For Applicant
- Guideline BForeign Influence · Against Applicant
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Case Headnote

ISCR Case No. 21-01136

deniedJun 6, 2022· Hon. Elizabeth M. Matchinski· hearing

Summary

A 41-year-old dual citizen of Iran and the U.S. was denied a security clearance under Guideline B (Foreign Influence). The denial was based on several factors related to her close ties to Iran, a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.

Specifically, the applicant's parents and siblings are resident citizens of Iran. Furthermore, her three brothers had all served mandatory military service in the Iranian Army. These familial connections raised concerns about potential coercion or pressure from the Iranian government, which could compromise national security.

Despite the applicant's efforts to sponsor family members for immigration, and the application of mitigating conditions AG ¶ 8(b) and AG ¶ 8(c), the judge determined that the disqualifying conditions AG ¶ 7(a) and AG ¶ 7(b) were not sufficiently overcome. The applicant's continued possession of an Iranian passport and frequent travel to Iran further contributed to the assessment of an unacceptable risk of foreign influence, leading to the denial of her security clearance.

Why the Applicant Was Denied

The applicant's family members reside in Iran, a country designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The applicant's three brothers served mandatory military service in the Iranian Army, raising concerns about potential coercion or pressure from the Iranian government.
The applicant's ongoing possession of an Iranian passport and her frequent travel to Iran increase the risk of foreign influence.

Conditions Referenced

Disqualifying

AG ¶ 7(a)appliedContact with Foreign Family Members
AG ¶ 7(b)appliedConnections to a Foreign Government

Mitigating

AG ¶ 8(b)rejectedMinimal Conflict of InterestWhile the applicant has shown allegiance to the U.S. through her actions, her ties to family in Iran and the potential for coercion were deemed significant.
AG ¶ 8(c)rejectedCasual and Infrequent ContactThe applicant maintains regular contact with her family in Iran, which increases the likelihood of foreign influence.

Key Rule Quoted

“The protection of the national security is the paramount consideration.”

Procedural Posture

SOR issuedOct 19, 2021
Answer filedOct 28, 2021
Hearing heldMay 10, 2022via Microsoft Teams
Decision dateJun 6, 2022

Cite For

Foreign Influence Concerns Under Guideline B
Impact of Familial Ties in Security Clearance Evaluations
The Burden of Proof on Applicants with Foreign Connections

Editorial summary generated for research. Not legal advice; not a prediction. Verify against the full decision before relying on any quoted language.

Standardized Decision Profile

SEAD-4 Guideline B (Foreign Influence) · descriptive summary of a decided case

Posture: HearingDecided: denied

The judge found against the applicant on the allegation that her parents and siblings are resident citizens of Iran, which raised concerns under Guideline B regarding foreign influence. However, the judge found for the applicant on the allegation concerning her brothers' military service in Iran, noting that they are no longer affiliated with any foreign government or military. Ultimately, the applicant's security clearance was denied due to the foreign influence concerns stemming from her family's ties to Iran.

Country conditions:the decision took administrative notice of official facts about the foreign country (the Government’s country submission).

U.S. ties the decision noted: Naturalized U.S. Citizen · U.S. Home or Property · U.S. Career or Business · Intent to Remain in U.S.

¶	Allegation	Finding	Relationship	Country	Response	Disqualifying (¶7)	Mitigating applied (¶8)	Mitigation
1.a	Applicant's parents and her siblings are resident citizens of Iran.	Against Applicant	Parent in Foreign Country Immediate Family	Iran HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	—	—	—
1.b	Applicant's three brothers had served in the Iranian Army.	For Applicant	Sibling in Foreign Country Immediate Family	Iran HEIGHTENED RISK	Admitted	—	—	—

Descriptive standardized rendering of a decided public case (Guideline B). The verbatim source decision is shown in full below.

Full decision

The complete, official text — footnotes and signatures included — is in the original PDF.