Washington DC, April 4
The US Department of State revoked the lawful permanent resident status of certain foreign nationals accused of supporting Iran's regime, following which they were taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement following the termination of their green card status.
According to a statement issued by the State Department on Saturday, the LPR status for these individuals was revoked following an order by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, after which they were arrested by ICE agents on Friday.
The Department of State said that Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, identified as the niece of former Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter were taken into custody by ICE agents following the termination of their green card status.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Afshar was an "outspoken supporter" of the Iranian regime and allegedly promoted its propaganda while residing in the United States. Authorities accused her of celebrating attacks on American military personnel and expressing support for the IRGC, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Washington.
"Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As identified by both press reporting and her own social media commentary, Soleimani Afshar is an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran. While living in the United States, 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 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organisation," the statement read.
The State Department further alleged that Afshar maintained an affluent lifestyle in Los Angeles while disseminating pro-Iranian regime content on social media. Her husband has also been barred from entering the United States.
"In addition to the termination of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter's LPR status, Afshar's husband has also been barred from entering the United States," the statement added.
Qasem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike at Baghdad International Airport in January 2020 along with five others, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF).
In a separate action earlier this month, Rubio terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Larijani, along with her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. Both individuals are no longer in the United States and have been barred from future entry.
Ali Larijani was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran last month.
The State Department expressed appreciation to the US Department of Homeland Security and ICE for their coordination in the matter, stating that the move reflects ongoing efforts to safeguard national security.
"The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes," Rubio stated in a post on X, announcing the termination of their LPR status.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, with the administration taking a stricter approach toward individuals linked to Iran's political and military establishment amid the conflict in West Asia.
- ANI
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