© EPA/MARTIAL TREZZINI Their green cards were revoked.
US federal authorities have apprehended the niece and great-granddaughter of the deceased Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani after Secretary of State Marco Rubio annulled their permanent residency, Reuters revealed, quoting the State Department.
“Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her offspring are presently being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” declared the State Department in a statement, also mentioning Rubio’s cancellation of their green cards.
Soleimani was killed back in January 2020 by an American aerial attack in Baghdad during Donald Trump's initial term as president.
The State Department indicated that Afshar backed the Iranian governing body and its propaganda efforts, and her spouse is allegedly forbidden from entering the United States.
The State Department further noted that earlier this month, Rubio terminated the lawful status of Fatema Ardeshir-Larijani, the daughter of Iranian politician Ali Larijani, along with her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. According to the State Department, Ardeshir-Larijani and Motamedi are no longer within the United States and are prohibited from future entry.
Ali Larijani, a significant architect of Iranian security strategy, was killed during mid-March in a joint US-Israeli air raid.
During his second tenure, the Trump administration intensified initiatives to expel immigrants, deeming them a menace. Human rights organizations have voiced apprehensions regarding freedom of expression and legal procedure. Simultaneously, numerous immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been freed through court mandates.