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Rubio Revokes Green Cards of Soleimani's Niece and Granddaughter — Both Arrested by ICE in Los Angeles April 5, 2026 Washington, D.C. By Staff Reporter Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated the permanent residency status of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar — niece of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani — and her daughter, who were subsequently arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles. Arrested April 3, 2026 Location Los Angeles, CA Agency ICE Custody Action taken by Sec. Marco Rubio What happened? On Friday, April 3, 2026, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter — identified as the niece and grandniece of late IRGC commander Qassem Soleimani — in Los Angeles. The arrests followed Secretary of State Marco Rubio's official termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status, commonly known as a green card.

The State Department stated that Soleimani Afshar had been living in the U.S. while vocally supporting the Iranian regime — promoting regime propaganda, celebrating attacks on American soldiers in the Middle East, and referring to the United States as the "Great Satan." Her husband has also been barred from entering the U.S. According to DHS, Soleimani Afshar first entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in June 2015, was granted asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2021 under the Biden administration. In July 2025, she filed a naturalization application and disclosed at least four trips back to Iran — a fact the government says proves her original asylum claim was fraudulent. A broader crackdown This action is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to revoke the immigration status of individuals linked to Iranian leadership who are living in the United States. Earlier in April 2026, Secretary Rubio also terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani — daughter of former Iranian Supreme National Security Council head Ali Larijani — and her husband. Both have been barred from re-entering the U.S. The State Department said these measures reflect the administration's commitment to ensuring that "supporters of anti-American terrorist regimes" cannot reside in the United States. Background: Who was Qassem Soleimani? Qassem Soleimani led the Quds Force — the elite foreign operations branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — from 1998 until his death. He was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020, ordered by President Donald Trump during his first term. The IRGC is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government.