‘Illegal immigration is a cancer’: Iranian student sues California college, claiming staff stifled free speech

An international student from Iran is suing a California college for allegedly threatening him with punishment over some political statements.

Matin Samimiat claimed administrators from Golden West College took issue with comments about illegal immigration, men in women’s sports, and the Israel-Palestine war.

‘I left Iran to enjoy the amazing freedom that the United States offers.’

Samimiat and fellow student Annaliese Hutchings reportedly caused controversy with their booth at Golden West’s Club Expo in February in Huntington Beach, California. The booth, which Samimiat operated with the conservative organization Young America’s Foundation, displayed a “change my mind” sign that encouraged students to engage in debate with him and Hutchings.

However, it was not anything Samimiat said that caused an issue with the school. Rather, statements written on a whiteboard in front of the booth allegedly caused the stir.

The board read: “Being an American is a privilege and we should all be thankful for it,” “Illegal immigration is a cancer upon any society in the world,” and “Men do not belong in women’s sports and spaces.”

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The Young America’s Foundation whiteboard at Golden West’s Club Expo, February 25, 2025. Image via court documents.

According to the College Fix, the board also labeled Hamas a “terrorist organization” that must be “wiped from the face of the earth.”

These statements were apparently enough for Stephanie Smallshaw, Golden West’s director of student life and leadership development, to reach out to Samimiat to request a meeting.

Samimiat and Hutchings, along with YAF, were named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit that claimed to provide details of the meeting Smallshaw had with the students.

The lawsuit alleged that while Samimiat and Hutchings were advised the meeting was informal, it was meant to serve as a “courtesy warning.”

The lawsuit further alleged that Smallshaw told the students they would be disciplined if they continued writing similar statements as they did on the whiteboard. Smallshaw allegedly claimed the statement regarding illegal immigration “dehumanizes a group of people and compares them to a deadly disease.”

Regarding the Hamas statements, Smallshaw allegedly told the students, “You can’t use language that can incite violence and encourage the killing of a group of people.”

Golden West College and Smallshaw did not respond to Blaze News’ request for comment.

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A power outage at Golden West College campus. Photo by Robert Lachman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images.

Samimiat told the College Fix that he left the Middle East and came to the U.S. to avoid such things.

“I left Iran to enjoy the amazing freedom that the United States offers. Now I find myself threatened with punishment for expressing political opinions — because they happen to be opinions that administrators don’t like.”

Political commentator Ian Miles Cheong told Blaze News that while some schools have faced bans on international student visas, students like Samimiat seem to “understand what it means to be an American” and should not face discipline.

“Isn’t the whole point of college to educate students on how to think critically? It’s obvious that college administrations, who wield so much power over what happens and what people say on campus, are terrified of some members of the student body,” Cheong added.

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