Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the legal status of two relatives of slain Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani, leading to their arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Los Angeles. The Trump administration accused the women of promoting Iranian regime propaganda while living in America.
Green Cards Revoked After Pro-Regime Activity
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, identified as Soleimani’s niece, and her daughter were taken into custody Friday after Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status. According to the State Department, Afshar promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers, praised Iran’s Supreme Leader, and referred to the United States as the Great Satan. Officials said she pushed this content while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, documented on her recently deleted Instagram account.
Fraudulent Asylum Claims Discovered
The Department of Homeland Security revealed that Afshar entered America on a tourist visa in June 2015, received asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2021 under the Biden administration. When she filed for naturalization in July 2025, she disclosed traveling to Iran at least four times since receiving her green card. DHS officials said these trips to Iran proved her asylum claims were fraudulent. Her daughter, who entered on a student visa in July 2015, also received asylum in 2019 and a green card in 2023.
Broader Crackdown on Regime Supporters
The administration extended its actions beyond Afshar’s immediate family. Officials barred her husband from entering the United States. Earlier this month, the State Department terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of a former senior Iranian official, and her husband. Both have left the country and face reentry bans. A DHS spokesperson emphasized that holding a green card represents a privilege, not a right, and the government will revoke legal status when green card holders pose threats to national security or support anti-American terrorist regimes.