According to the US State Department, federal agents detained Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter on Saturday night. The arrests were made after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status.
Officials said both women are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and could face deportation proceedings.
In its statement, the Department claimed that Hamideh Soleimani Afshar had openly supported the Iranian government through social media and public statements.
Authorities alleged that while living in the United States, she shared content praising the Iranian regime and expressing support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
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The statement also claimed she celebrated attacks against US soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East and described the United States as the “Great Satan”.
Officials further said she praised Iran’s leadership and promoted what they described as propaganda for the Iranian government.
The State Department also stated that Afshar had been living in Los Angeles and sharing posts on social media showing a luxurious lifestyle before the account was later deleted.
In addition to the arrest, the US government announced that Afshar’s husband has been banned from entering the United States.
Earlier this month, Secretary Rubio also cancelled the legal residency status of Fatemeh Ardeshir Larijani, the daughter of Iranian political figure Ali Larijani, and her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi.
US officials said both individuals are no longer in the United States and are also barred from future entry.
Secretary Rubio later wrote on social media that Afshar and her daughter had previously lived in the United States as green card holders.
Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States.
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 4, 2026
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…
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He said their legal status was cancelled and they are now being held by immigration authorities while removal procedures continue.
Rubio added, “The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.”
Qasem Soleimani, whose relatives were arrested, was one of Iran’s most powerful military commanders. He served as a senior general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and led the elite Quds Force.
Soleimani was killed in January 2020 in a US airstrike near Baghdad International Airport.
