USA07 April, 20261 min read
US ICE Arrests Qasem Soleimani's Niece and Grandniece in Propaganda Crackdown
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Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and daughter detained by ICE in Los Angeles after residency status revoked. Residency status revoked for allegedly supporting the Iranian regime.
Arrests and Revocations
US immigration authorities arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter after the State Department revoked their lawful permanent resident status. Rubio said Afshar was an outspoken supporter of the totalitarian, terrorist regime in Iran who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the Great Satan.
DHS flagged Afshar's 2019 asylum claim as fraudulent, citing multiple trips back to Iran. The pair were transferred to ICE custody in Pearsall, Texas, pending removal.
Social Media Evidence
The arrests followed months of documentation by Laura Loomer who took credit for exposing Afshar's online activity. Loomer shared her compilations with DHS and the State Department, triggering a formal review.
The gap between Afshar's advocacy and her affluent lifestyle raised questions about how propaganda networks operate within immigrant communities. The public revelation of these ties to green card holders is a significant escalation.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
The use of immigration enforcement against alleged propaganda raises complex legal and human rights issues. The State Department's decision to revoke green cards based on social media content is unprecedented.
Neither Afshar nor Hosseiny had been charged with criminal offenses. Soleimani's daughter Zainab denied any familial relation to the two women.