The United States has revoked the lawful permanent resident status of two relatives of the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani, citing alleged support for the Iranian government. Both were arrested and are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The U.S. Department of State identified one of the individuals as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, Soleimani’s niece, along with her daughter. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the termination of their legal status, alleging that Soleimani Afshar actively promoted Iranian state narratives while living in the United States.
Officials accused her of publicly supporting the Iranian government, celebrating attacks on U.S. soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praising Iran’s Supreme Leader, and expressing strong allegiance to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The department also noted that she maintained an affluent lifestyle in Los Angeles while posting content supportive of Iran on social media.
In addition to revoking their residency, U.S. authorities barred her husband from entering the country.
Earlier this month, Secretary Rubio also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of former Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani, along with her husband. Both are no longer in the U.S. and have been prohibited from returning.
The State Department expressed gratitude to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for their role in enforcing these measures, emphasizing that the U.S. will not serve as a safe haven for individuals supporting foreign regimes hostile to America.
