ICE Detains Niece of Notorious Iranian General, Revokes Green Card

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles has taken into custody the niece and grand-niece of a well-known late Iranian general, revoking their green cards in the process.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, whose name has not been disclosed, were apprehended by ICE officials on Friday while residing in Los Angeles.

According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the duo had previously expressed joy over the deaths of U.S. soldiers amid President Donald Trump’s ongoing tensions with Iran.

Rubio further noted that their permanent residency, which granted them the privilege of living indefinitely in the United States, has been annulled, and they are slated for deportation at the earliest possible time.

He stated, “Up until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were living extravagantly in the U.S. as green card holders.”

‘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.” 

‘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. 

‘The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.’

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, pictured, and her daughter have both been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in LA and had their green cards revoked over their alleged celebration of the deaths of US soldiers in Iran

Afshar is the niece of the notorious late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani (pictured), who was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad Airport in January 2020

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the two women’s arrest and impending removal from the United States on his X account on Saturday

Afshar is the niece of Qasem Soleimani. 

He was one of Iran’s most powerful military figures and was the commander of the Quds force when he was killed by a US Reaper drone strike ordered by President Trump at Baghdad Airport in January 2020.

A press release issued by the State Department further accused Afshar of ‘promoting Iranian regime propaganda’.

It said she had ‘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 terrorist organization.’

Rubio said his department had been alerted to Afshar’s antics by her posts about Iran and the United States on her since-deleted Instagram account. 

It is unclear how long she had been living in the United States for and how old her daughter is. 

Despite Afshar’s apparent loathing for the United States, she appeared to enjoy its many freedoms.

She did not wear a hijab hair-covering – which is mandatory for women in Iran, thanks to a draconian law imposed by the rulers closely linked to her late uncle.

Afshar also faced a far less severe penalty for her ranting and raving than Iranians who attack their government, with tens of thousands of protesters murdered at the orders of the Ayatollah in recent years.  

Public records list Afshar as living at a $740,000 home in the Tujunga neighborhood of Los Angeles.

She bought the house for $505,000 in September 2021 with a $365,000 mortgage.

Afhsar’s home in Tujunga, Los Angeles, is pictured. She bought the property for $505,000 in 2021 and it is now worth $740,000

The modest property has two bedrooms and two baths but it smartly decorated inside.

It sits on a hill that affords it a stunning view across the Crescenta Valley and Verdugo Mountains. 

Afshar’s anti-American rhetoric stepped up in recent weeks, after President Trump began bombing Iran on February 28.

The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in the US-Israel bombardment which has triggered international chaos.

Trump has said he will resume bombing within 48 hours if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping channel that much of the world’s oil supply must pass through.