New Delhi, 05 April (H.S.):
US authorities have arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, niece of the late Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, along with her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their lawful permanent resident status, accusing them of fraudulent asylum claims and pro-regime advocacy.
Immigration Violations and Family Ties
Soleimani Afshar entered the US on a tourist visa in 2015, secured asylum in 2019, and obtained a green card in 2021; her daughter arrived on a student visa that year, gaining similar status in 2023. A 2025 naturalization application revealed multiple post-green card trips to Iran, which authorities deemed evidence of fabricated asylum grounds, while her social media allegedly promoted Iranian propaganda and celebrated attacks on US forces. Federal agents took them into ICE custody late Friday, with Soleimani Afshar's husband also barred from entry.
Iranian Denial and Conflict Backdrop
Soleimani's daughter Narjes vehemently denied any familial link, labeling US claims fabrications from a weak administration targeting her father's legacy. Qasem Soleimani, architect of Iran's regional operations via the Quds Force, was killed in a 2020 US drone strike near Baghdad airport—ordered by President Trump, who recently invoked it amid escalating US-Iran hostilities over nuclear issues and Strait of Hormuz tensions.
The detentions coincide with ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iranian sites and a search for a missing US airman.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
