Rubio Revokes Residency for Iranian Nationals Tied to Regime

Secretary of State Marco Rubio led a coordinated crackdown in April 2026 to revoke the lawful permanent resident status and visas of Iranian nationals tied to the Iranian government. The effort targeted individuals connected to high-ranking officials and the late IRGC General Qasem Soleimani, with the administration stating that the U.S. would not serve as a home for those supporting anti-American terrorist regimes.

On April 3, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, the niece of Qasem Soleimani, and her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, at their home in Los Angeles. Authorities alleged that Afshar maintained a lavish lifestyle while using social media to promote regime propaganda and celebrate attacks on U.S. soldiers. The Department of Homeland Security also claimed Afshar's 2019 asylum application was fraudulent. Both women were held at an ICE facility in Pearsall, Texas, pending removal. Zeinab Soleimani, daughter of Qasem Soleimani, denied the familial connection.

By April 11, the crackdown expanded to include Seyed Eissa Hashemi, his wife Maryam Tahmasebi, and their son, who were arrested in Los Angeles. Hashemi is the son of former Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar, a spokeswoman during the 1979 U.S. Embassy hostage crisis. Additionally, the administration revoked the status of academic Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani and her husband, Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, both of whom were barred from reentry. President Donald Trump and Secretary Rubio are reportedly working to expand these measures to between 3,000 and 4,000 Iranian elites living in the U.S. These actions occurred amid a U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and coincide with the start of negotiations in Pakistan to end the conflict.