ICE detains slain Qasem Soleimani’s niece, daughter after Marco Rubio revokes green cards

LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK: Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked the permanent residency permits of two relatives of slain Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani living in Los Angeles. After their green cards were suspended, they were taken into ICE custody for deportation.

The two women taken into ICE custody were identified as Soleimani’s niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and her daughter. The announcement of their arrest was made on Saturday, April 4.

The two were arrested on Friday, April 3, after their ‘legal status’ was removed earlier this week.

The two are currently in ICE awaiting deportation. The development follows the escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, as the talk of a ceasefire does not seem to be materializing any time soon.

Marco Rubio revokes green cards over Iran regime support

Afshar’s residency permit was revoked for supporting the Iranian regime, and she has allegedly been cheering for Tehran during the ongoing war while living a lavish life in Los Angeles.

Taking to X, Rubio posted about Afshar’s relation to Soleimani and accused her of celebrating attacks on America. “Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani.”

"She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the Great Satan,” Rubio continued in his X post.

"This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter's legal status, and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States."

State Department accuses Afshar of Iran propaganda while in US

Addressing the suspension of Afshar and her daughter’s legal status, the State Department said that Afshar voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while living a lavish life in America and denounced the country as a ‘great satan’.

“She promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated extremist organization," the State Department said.

The department, referring to Afshar’s frequent posts on her now-deleted Instagram account, said that she was ‘enjoying’ a lavish life in Los Angeles while supporting Iran’s regime and pushing propaganda for it.

Soleimani death in US strike fuels ongoing tensions

Former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US strike during Trump’s first term in office in 2020. The killing of Soleimani marked one of the events that contributed to continued tensions between the two countries and the ongoing war.

Afshar came to the United States on a tourist visa in 2015 and sought asylum, which was granted in 2019. She became a green card holder in 2021, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).