Hamid Soleimani Afshar, niece of late Iranian military commander Qasem Soleimaniand her daughter were detained after U.S. authorities revoked their legal permanent resident status.
The arrests come after U.S. officials charged Soleimani Afshar Promoted Iranian regime propaganda and expressed support for attacks on U.S. troops while living in Los Angeles. The U.S. State Department described her as “an outspoken supporter of Iran’s totalitarian terrorist regime,” citing media reports and her social media activity.
This development is part of a crackdown on individuals accused of supporting a regime hostile to the United States.
Where is she being held?
ICE records show Soleimani Afshar is being held at the South Texas Detention Facility in Pearsall, Texas.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported that she was initially arrested in Los Angeles and then transferred to a Texas prison. He added that her daughter Hosseiny Sarinasadat was also being held in the same detention center.
CBS News separately confirmed that Soleimani Afshar is being held by ICE at the Pearsall facility, where detainees typically await immigration proceedings or deportation.
Homeland Security labels asylum claims ‘fraudulent’
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Soleimani Afshar’s 2019 asylum application was “fraudulent” and claimed she returned to Iran multiple times after receiving a green card.
Authorities are currently seeking to revoke residential protection for her and her family.
“It is an honor to receive a green card and live in the United States of America. If we have reason to believe that a green card holder poses a threat to the United States, the green card will be revoked,” CBS News quoted a statement from a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson as saying.
Officials also said her husband has been banned from entering the United States.
Qassem Soleimani, a key figure in Iran’s military strategy, was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Iraq in January 2020. U.S. officials widely view him as the architect of Iran’s regional military operations, while Iran’s supporters view him as a national figure.
Secretary of State of the United States Marco Rubio It said the government would not allow the country to become a base for individuals supporting an “anti-American terrorist regime.”
Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are expected to remain in ICE custody as legal proceedings, including possible deportation, proceed.
