U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles arrested two relatives of the late Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani on Saturday, following an order from Secretary of State Marco Rubio to revoke their permanent residency status.
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of the former Quds Force commander, and her daughter were taken into custody at their residence. The arrests occurred shortly after the State Department announced that their Lawful Permanent Resident status, commonly known as green cards, had been terminated on national security grounds. Officials stated that the individuals are now pending formal removal proceedings from the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio justified the decision by citing the relatives’ alleged vocal support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian leadership. In a formal statement released Saturday, Rubio emphasised that the U.S. would not provide a "safe haven" for those who actively promote the interests of hostile foreign regimes or celebrate attacks on American personnel.
"We will not tolerate individuals living in our country under the privilege of permanent residency while simultaneously utilising that platform to spread pro-regime propaganda," Rubio stated during a press briefing. He further noted that Afshar had reportedly used social media to praise military actions against U.S. assets in the Middle East and expressed "unflinching support" for the IRGC.
The administration’s move follows a pattern of heightened scrutiny regarding the families of senior Iranian officials. The State Department also confirmed that Afshar’s husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, and another relative, Ardeshir-Larijani, have been barred from re-entering the country. Government sources described the family as having maintained a "lavish lifestyle" in Southern California while publicly disparaging the United States as the "Great Satan."
The action comes amid ongoing regional tensions and a series of naval and aerial exchanges between U.S. forces and Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East.