ICE Detains Iranian General's Relatives in Los Angeles as Trump White House Purges Green Cards Tied to Tehran

The niece of slain Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani has been arrested by US federal agents in Los Angeles, along with her daughter, both taken into custody after Secretary of State Marco Rubio stripped them of their green cards. The US State Department confirmed the arrests on Saturday, 4 April 2026, identifying the niece as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar. Her daughter's name was not made public. The two women had been living in Los Angeles as lawful permanent residents — until Rubio's order ended that.

What makes the case notable is not just who they are, but what Afshar had been doing while living in the US. The State Department said she had promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised Iran's new Supreme Leader, and voiced support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organisation, all while living in Los Angeles. The department also said she had denounced America as the 'Great Satan.' Her Instagram account, which documented what the State Department described as a lavish lifestyle, has since been deleted.

From LA to ICE Custody

Afshar's husband, not named in any State Department release, has separately been barred from entering the United States. Rubio posted on X, confirming the action, writing that 'the Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.'

A public petition earlier in 2026 had already called for Afshar's deportation, citing her familial connection to the Iranian military commander designated as a terrorist by the United States. The arrests on Friday followed sustained public pressure for her removal.

Soleimani himself needs little introduction in Washington. He led the IRGC's foreign operations arm before being killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad in January 2020, during the final year of Trump's first term. His death set off a crisis between the two countries. That his relatives were quietly living in California on green cards — and publicly backing the regime that mourned him — had not gone unnoticed.

Further Revocations Under Review

The arrests were part of a broader State Department effort. Earlier this month, Rubio also 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 are no longer in the United States and have been barred from future entry. Ali Larijani was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike in Tehran last month.

Rubio's office has suggested further names are under review. The administration appears to be working through a list — targeting individuals who held US residency while publicly supporting Tehran.

These cases set a notable precedent. Lawful permanent residents enjoy most of the rights afforded to US citizens, short of voting. But as the State Department's actions this month confirm, residency can be revoked on national security grounds, and social media posts can be part of the evidence. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter will remain in federal custody pending removal proceedings. Their path back to any legal US presence appears closed.