ICE Detains Soleimani Family Members Following Residency Revocation

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has taken the niece and grand-niece of the late Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani into custody after the State Department terminated their lawful permanent resident status.

The enforcement action, confirmed by the State Department on Saturday, April 4, 2026, marks a significant escalation in the administration's policy toward foreign nationals with high-level ties to the Iranian government. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, were arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles and are currently being held at an ICE detention facility in Pearsall, Texas, awaiting removal proceedings.

Termination of Legal Status

The revocation of residency was authorized by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who cited national security concerns and the "fraudulent" nature of the original asylum claims. According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records, Afshar obtained her green card in 2019 after claiming a fear of persecution in Iran. However, investigators found that she had traveled back to Iran at least four times since receiving her status.

"It is a privilege to be granted a green card to live in the United States," a DHS spokesperson stated in a briefing. "If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the U.S. or has obtained status through misrepresentation, that status will be revoked."

Evidence of Regime Advocacy

The State Department's decision was further influenced by Afshar’s public activities. Officials noted that while living in California, she frequently utilized social media to promote Iranian regime propaganda.

• Pro-Regime Rhetoric: Afshar reportedly praised the Iranian Supreme Leader and celebrated military actions against U.S. forces in the Middle East.

• Anti-U.S. Sentiment: Documents reviewed by federal agents included posts where Afshar referred to the United States as the "Great Satan."

• Fraudulent Claims: DHS officials highlighted that frequent travel to a country from which one has claimed asylum is a primary indicator of immigration fraud.

Broader Campaign Against Iranian Influence

This arrest is part of a wider initiative led by Secretary Rubio to purge the United States of individuals linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other sanctioned entities. The IRGC has been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) since 2019.

Earlier this month, the administration also targeted the family of Ali Larijani, the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, who was recently killed in an airstrike. These actions utilize rarely invoked powers to terminate the legal status of individuals deemed to be "outspoken supporters of a totalitarian, terrorist regime."

Political and Legal Challenges

While the administration views these removals as a matter of national security, the move has sparked intense debate. Some legal experts argue that revoking status based on social media commentary may infringe upon First Amendment rights, even for non-citizens. Similar efforts to deport activists last year were met with federal lawsuits alleging that the State Department was penalizing free speech.

In Tehran, the Soleimani family has denied any connection to the detainees. Narjes Soleimani, a member of Tehran's Islamic City Council and daughter of the late general, told state television that no member of their immediate family has ever resided in the United States.

National Security Context

Qasem Soleimani was the architect of Iran’s regional military strategy and the leader of the Quds Force until his death in a 2020 U.S. drone strike. Federal authorities maintain that allowing his relatives to maintain residency while they actively support the regime's ideology presents an unacceptable security risk.

The detainees are currently being processed for deportation. While they have the right to challenge the revocation in immigration court, DHS officials indicated that the evidence of asylum fraud provides a high threshold for any successful appeal.