The United States has arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, the niece and grandniece of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, after revoking their green cards this week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio determined they were no longer eligible for lawful permanent resident status due to their public support for the Iranian government and anti-American rhetoric. The pair were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement late Friday and are now facing deportation. Afshar's husband has also been barred from entering the United States. According to the State Department, the family had been living in Los Angeles for years, maintaining what officials described as a "lavish lifestyle." Rubio stated that Afshar is "an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the 'Great Satan.'" The move is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to revoke visas or green cards of at least four Iranian nationals linked to the Iranian government. Last year, the US also revoked the visas of several Iranian diplomats and staff at Iran's UN mission. The administration has framed the actions as necessary measures to protect national security.
When Marco Rubio calls someone an "outspoken supporter" who celebrates attacks on Americans, it signals a shift from diplomatic tolerance to active exclusion of regime-affiliated figures from US soil. The arrest of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter is not just about immigration enforcement—it underscores how familial ties to high-profile enemies of the state are now being treated as liabilities, regardless of residency status. By targeting relatives who never held official power but voiced ideological loyalty, the US is redrawing the line on who benefits from asylum or permanent status. This sets a precedent that could affect other diaspora figures with symbolic, rather than operational, links to adversarial governments.
