Federal immigration officials arrested the niece of late Iranian terror mastermind Qasem Soleimani and her daughter at their home in Los Angeles last week, following the State Department's revocation of their green cards. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, 25, were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a State Department announcement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Afshar has been an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime and celebrated attacks on Americans. The State Department terminated their legal status as part of a broader effort targeting family members of Iranian officials living in the United States. The women entered the U.S. in 2015 on tourist and student visas.
What the Left Is Saying
Civil liberties advocates have raised concerns about the broader implications of targeting family members of foreign officials for immigration enforcement. Critics argue that revoking green cards based on political speech or affiliations raises due process questions, particularly when the individuals themselves may not have engaged in terrorist activity.
Democratic lawmakers and immigration advocates have noted that expanding enforcement against relatives of foreign government officials could set a precedent for broader application. Some progressive groups have cautioned that using political ideology as a basis for deportation could be applied inconsistently and might conflict with established asylum and immigration law.
Organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union have historically argued that immigration enforcement should focus on individuals with criminal convictions or demonstrable national security threats rather than family relationships or political statements. Some advocates contend that the practice of targeting relatives could ensnare individuals who have valid immigration claims and have lived in the U.S. for years.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative lawmakers and national security hawks have praised the arrests as a necessary step to address what they call a serious vulnerability in the U.S. immigration system. Supporters argue that family members of hostile foreign regime officials should not be allowed to live comfortably in the United States while their relatives oversee attacks on American interests.
Republican officials have pointed to what they describe as hypocrisy by Iranian regime supporters living in Western societies. Critics note that Afshar publicly celebrated attacks on Americans while residing in the U.S., and they argue this represents a fundamental contradiction that justifies enforcement action.
Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis defended the arrests as a matter of national security. Republican senators have called for expanded scrutiny of all family members of Iranian regime officials present in the United States, arguing that the current case represents just a fraction of a larger problem.
What the Numbers Show
According to State Department data, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar entered the United States in June 2015 on a tourist visa, while her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny entered in July 2015 on a student visa. Both were granted green cards after arriving.
The property where they lived, located several miles outside downtown Los Angeles, was purchased by Afshar in 2021 for approximately $500,000. The residence included a main house and an accessory dwelling unit where Afshar resided.
The State Department has also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of a former senior Iranian official, and her husband earlier this month. Both have left the U.S. and are barred from reentry.
Photos from the property showed a Tesla Model 3, designer goods including a Miss Dior bag, and other luxury items. The Instagram account Afshar maintained prior to her arrest reportedly displayed images of her in designer outfits, on yachts, and at luxury locations.
The Bottom Line
The arrests of Soleimani's relatives represent one of the latest enforcement actions in an ongoing Trump administration effort to target family members of Iranian regime officials living in the United States. The State Department has indicated this is part of a broader review of individuals with connections to hostile foreign governments.
Immigration legal experts note that green card revocation based on political statements or affiliations remains a legally complex area. While the government has broad authority to exclude and remove non-citizens, advocates argue that due process protections should apply to individuals who have lived in the U.S. for extended periods.
The case highlights the intersection of immigration enforcement and national security policy. Critics from both sides have taken notice: supporters say the actions protect American interests, while detractors question whether targeting family members crosses a policy line. Future developments will likely involve legal challenges to the green card revocations and continued scrutiny of Iranian nationals with regime connections residing in the United States.