The United States Department of State, under the direction of Secretary Marco Rubio, has initiated a decisive crackdown on foreign nationals residing in America who maintain ties to the Iranian regime.
In a series of actions culminating in early April 2026, the lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and visas of several high- profile individuals connected to Iranian leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were terminated.
This move underscores the President Donald Trump administration’s hardline stance against allowing individuals
linked to anti-American regimes to find safe harbor within U.S. borders.
Arrests of Qasem Soleimani’s Relatives
On the evening of April 3, 2026, federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, in Los Angeles, California.
The arrests followed the immediate revocation of their green cards by the Secretary of State, Rubio. Hamideh Soleimani Afshar is the niece of the late
IRGC Major General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. targeted strike in 2020.
According to the State Department, Afshar and her daughter had been living a “lavish lifestyle” in Los Angeles while actively promoting Iranian regime propaganda. 
The State Department noted that Afshar used her social media platforms to celebrate attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praise the new Iranian Supreme Leader, and denounce the United States as the “Great Satan”.
Furthermore, she voiced unflinching support for the IRGC, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist
organization.
In addition to the arrests and the termination of their LPR status, Afshar’s husband has been barred from entering the United States. The individuals are currently in ICE custody pending removal proceedings.
Ousting of Ali Larijani’s Daughter
The recent actions against Soleimani’s relatives follow a similar measure taken earlier in the month against Dr. Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of Ali Larijani, the former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.
Dr. Ardeshir-Larijani had been working as an assistant professor at the Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute in
Atlanta, Georgia drew the attention of U.S. lawmakers.
Representative Buddy Carter led a pressure campaign demanding her removal, arguing that U.S. institutions must not serve as a “safe harbor” for individuals tied to hostile regimes and citing national security concerns.Following the public outcry, Dr. Ardeshir- Larijani was forced out of her position at Emory University, and her legal status in the United States was terminated by the Secretary of State.
Both she and her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, are no longer in the United States and have permanently barred from future entry.
Broader Implications and Policy Shift
These revocations represent a significant escalation in the U.S. government’s approach to foreign nationals with the familial or ideological ties to adversarial governments. The State Department explicitly stated that the administration “will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes”.
The actions highlight a growing sensitivity regarding foreign ties within American academia and society, particularly concerning individuals connected to governments viewed as
hostile to U.S. interests.
The swift removal of these individuals demonstrates a coordinated effort between the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and ICE to enforce strict immigration policies aligned with national security objectives.
