Two relatives of Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimani have been detained in Los Angeles by US immigration authorities, with officials alleging irregularities in their asylum claims and moving to revoke their residency status.
The US Department of Homeland Security said officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, on 3 April.
Authorities identified the pair as the niece and grandniece of Soleimani, the former head of Iran’s Quds Force, who was killed in a US drone strike ordered by then president Donald Trump in 2020.
According to officials, Soleimani Afshar entered the United States on a tourist visa in 2015, was granted asylum in 2019 and later obtained permanent residency in 2021. Her daughter followed a similar path, arriving on a student visa in 2015 before being granted asylum and later a green card.
US authorities allege that travel to Iran after obtaining permanent residency raised concerns about the legitimacy of Soleimani Afshar’s original asylum claim. In a statement, the department said such travel indicated her claim may have been “fraudulent”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he had moved to terminate the pair’s legal status, adding they were now in custody pending removal proceedings. He alleged Soleimani Afshar had expressed support for the Iranian government and made hostile remarks about the United States.
Officials said lawful permanent residency could be revoked if authorities believed an individual posed a security risk. The case comes amid broader scrutiny of immigration enforcement and national security under the current administration.
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