US Forces Arrest and Detain Niece of Qassem Soleimani in Los Angeles
Key Takeaways
- Secretary Rubio revokes permanent residency of Qasem Soleimani's niece and grandniece.
- Federal agents arrest Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter in Los Angeles.
- Both were taken into ICE custody following residency revocation, per State Department.
Green Card Revocation
The US arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter after their green cards were revoked.
The State Department described Soleimani Afshar as an outspoken supporter of the terrorist regime in Iran.
The arrest came five weeks into a US-Israeli war on Iran that began with coordinated strikes.
Social Media and Lifestyle Evidence
Soleimani Afshar was granted asylum in 2019 and became a green card holder in 2021.
She revealed in naturalization filings that she had visited Iran four times, which DHS said was fraudulent.
Her daughter presented a contrasting online persona with clubbing and vacationing photos.
International Reaction and Implications
Iranian media quoted Soleimani's daughter as denying any ties to the late Quds Force leader.
“The United States has revoked the permanent residency of two women it says are related to Qassem Soleimani, the late major general who led Iran’s Quds Force, the foreign branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), from 1998 until his assassination in 2020”
Congress was not informed prior to the arrests.
There were immediate questions about the limits of free speech rights and punishing family members.
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