U.S. authorities have revoked the green cards of two Iranian nationals and detained them in immigration custody, according to the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Los Angeles following the revocation of their green cards. Afshar and Hosseiny are the niece and grandniece of Qasem Soleimani, the late commander of Iran's Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He led the Quds Force from the late 1990s until his death in January 2020, when he was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq.
The U.S. Department of State said the action was taken on national security grounds, and the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested the two women in Los Angeles after Secretary of State Marco Rubio terminated their residency status.
Afshar's husband has also been prohibited from entering the country, the State Department said.
While residing in the United States, Hosseiny's social media accounts reportedly showed travel to destinations such as Miami, Alaska and Las Vegas, and content reflecting a luxury lifestyle, according to the New York Post. The posts described in reporting included images of her traveling by private aircraft, spending time on yachts, attending music festivals, and sharing photos from trips to locations such as Miami, Alaska and Las Vegas, where she was photographed at events including a Formula 1 race.
Hosseiny entered the United States on a student visa in 2015 and was later granted lawful permanent resident status in 2023, the New York Post reported.
With their green cards revoked, both women are now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and are facing removal proceedings that could ultimately lead to deportation to Iran. In such cases, the process typically involves appearances before immigration judges, where the individuals may have the opportunity to contest removal or apply for relief under U.S. immigration law, though outcomes vary depending on the specifics of each case.
If deported, they would return to Iran, where domestic laws include strict public-morality regulations governing dress, behavior, and social conduct, enforced by state authorities. These rules are implemented through a legal and regulatory framework that can carry penalties for violations, including flogging, though any consequences would depend on Iranian law as applied by local authorities at the time of return and the circumstances of the individuals involved.
Both individuals are being held at the South Texas Detention Facility, according to the ICE detainee locator.
The State Department accused Afshar of having "promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." The State Department has not made similar public allegations regarding her daughter, Hosseiny, who appears to have adopted a more Western lifestyle.
Ceasefire negotiations between Iran, Israel and the United States appear to have stalled as a U.S.-set deadline approaches, with mediators proposing a temporary halt in hostilities that would include reopening key shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran reportedly rejected the interim framework in favor of a permanent agreement, while U.S. officials indicated the talks had not met their conditions and warned that military operations could continue if demands were not addressed. President Donald Trump set an 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with warnings of further escalation if the terms were not met.
DHS said in a post on X: "If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the U.S., their green card will be revoked."
The State Department wrote in a press release: "The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes."
Both women will remain in federal custody pending further immigration proceedings.