ICE Detains Relatives of Late Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in LA
ICE detains Soleimani nieces Los Angeles green card revocation
LOS ANGELES — Federal agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested two relatives of the late Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani on Friday night in Los Angeles following the immediate revocation of their lawful permanent resident status. The State Department confirmed on Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the green cards of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, citing their active support for the Iranian government and hostile rhetoric toward the United States. Afshar is identified as the niece of Soleimani, the high-ranking military commander killed in a 2020 American drone strike. According to reports from the Jerusalem Post, the mother and daughter were taken into custody as part of a broader national security crackdown targeting individuals with deep ties to the Islamic Republic’s regime during the ongoing military conflict in the Middle East.
The decision to revoke their legal status was based on evidence that the pair had been living a lavish lifestyle in Southern California while simultaneously promoting anti-American propaganda. Secretary Rubio stated that Afshar used social media to celebrate attacks on American soldiers and frequently referred to the United States as the “Great Satan.” Officials noted that her public support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, made her presence in the country untenable under current security protocols. The Department of Homeland Security also revealed that Afshar had traveled to Iran at least four times since obtaining her green card, a fact that investigators say directly contradicts the asylum claims she used to gain residency in 2019. As noted by the Washington Examiner, these trips suggest that her original claims of fearing persecution in her home country were fraudulent.
This enforcement action coincides with a period of intense military and diplomatic friction between Washington and Tehran, often referred to as Operation Epic Fury. The Trump administration has signaled a zero-tolerance policy for foreign nationals residing in the U.S. who maintain active ideological or financial links to hostile regimes. Earlier this month, similar revocations were issued for Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of a former Iranian national security official, and her husband. According to reporting from the Hindustan Times, the administration is actively reviewing the visas and residency permits of hundreds of Iranian nationals with connections to the IRGC or the central government. The State Department emphasized that the United States will not serve as a safe haven for those who support “anti-American terrorist regimes” while enjoying the benefits of living on American soil.
The arrests have drawn a sharp response from Tehran, where the immediate family of Qassem Soleimani has denied any relation to the detained women. Zeinab and Narjes Soleimani, the late general’s daughters, issued statements through Iranian state media claiming the U.S. government is “fabricating lies” and that no members of their extended family reside in the United States. Despite these denials, U.S. federal records indicate that the women have been living in the Los Angeles area for nearly a decade after entering the country on tourist and student visas in 2015. Both women are currently being held in an ICE detention center pending formal removal proceedings. As the war with Iran continues to dominate the global stage, these high-profile deportations serve as a clear indicator of the administration’s intent to sever all domestic links to the Iranian power structure.
