Inside the Lavish L.A. Life of Qasem Soleimani's Kin: Green Cards Revoked, Security Questions Raised
LOS ANGELES — Exclusive photographs obtained by Fox News Digital lay bare the stark contrast between the public ideology and private luxury of close relatives of the late Iranian Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, whose green cards were recently revoked leading to their arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, 47, identified as Soleimani's niece, and her 25-year-old daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, were taken into custody last week. The State Department confirmed it terminated their lawful permanent resident status, citing activities inconsistent with their asylum claims.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Afshar has been a vocal supporter of the Iranian regime, having celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to the U.S. as the "Great Satan." Their case underscores a persistent national security concern: family members of senior Iranian officials embedding themselves in Western nations their relatives' organizations actively oppose.
"This isn't just about two individuals. It exposes a systemic vulnerability," said Michael Chen, a former DHS analyst now with the Center for Strategic Integrity. "The process failed to adequately vet their ongoing ties and the source of their considerable wealth, which appears disconnected from declared means."
The photos, taken near their residence several miles outside downtown Los Angeles, depict a life of apparent opulence. The property, a roughly half-million-dollar home purchased by Afshar in 2021 according to property records, features a main house and a separate Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) where Afshar reportedly lived. Images show a Tesla Model 3 packed with luxury items—a Miss Dior handbag, designer cushions, and a Sephora makeup bag—amidst scattered paperwork.
Before her Instagram account was deleted, Afshar's social media portrayed a jet-setting existence: posing in designer attire beside a helicopter, wearing revealing swimwear that displayed stomach tattoos, and lounging on a jet-ski. This curated image clashes sharply with the austere moral code enforced by the Iranian regime her uncle helped empower.
"It's hypocrisy on full display and it's infuriating," said Dr. Anahita Rostami, a human rights advocate who fled Iran in 2018. "Women in Iran are beaten, imprisoned, or killed for showing a strand of hair. Yet these regime beneficiaries flaunt bikinis and shop on Rodeo Drive, funded by what can only be wealth extracted from the Iranian people. It's a slap in the face to every Iranian struggling for freedom."
Acting Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis detailed the pair's immigration timeline: they entered the U.S. in 2015 on tourist and student visas, were granted asylum by a judge in 2019, and received green cards in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Their status was revoked after authorities determined Afshar had made multiple trips back to Iran—travel that "illustrate her asylum claims were fraudulent," Bis said.
This case is part of a wider pattern. Earlier this month, the State Department terminated the status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of a former senior Iranian official. Online petitions are also calling for the investigation of Eissa Hashemi, son of a former regime spokesperson, describing his life in Los Angeles as "affluent."
"The system is catching up, but slowly," commented David P. Miller, a national security attorney. "These actions send a necessary message, but they also highlight the need for more proactive, intelligence-driven vetting to prevent abuse from the outset."
The arrest leaves behind a rented-out main house with furniture oddly placed on the front lawn and a modest ADU containing a selfie ring-light, a TV mount, and a life-sized mannequin—mundane remnants of a life built under a now-invalidated premise.