Concerns Raised Over Immigration Vetting After Arrests of Soleimani Relatives
Just days before two close relatives of the late terrorist figure Qasem Soleimani were detained in Los Angeles, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) revealed serious flaws in its vetting process, citing “significant national security and public safety risks.” The agency called the existing system “completely inadequate.”
The arrests of Soleimani’s niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, and grandson, Salina Sadat Hosseini, have sparked questions about how relatives of such a notorious figure could gain legal permanent residency in the United States. An internal USCIS probe, announced shortly before the arrests, may provide some context.
On March 30, USCIS highlighted concerns during a comprehensive review of ongoing applications. They found that earlier vetting measures were not enough, stating that many applicants were inadequately scrutinized. Consequently, some individuals who should not have been granted citizenship were given approval.
USCIS cautioned that these lapses expose the U.S. to considerable risks and compromise the integrity of the immigration system. In response, the agency will suspend and reassess pending asylum applications from high-risk countries. This decision comes from adherence to several executive orders mandating thorough vetting.
An official memo regarding this pause details that comprehensive reviews, interviews, and re-interviews will take place for foreign nationals from high-risk areas who entered the U.S. after President Biden took office. The agency indicated that it may extend these processes to others who arrived before that date as well.
Recently, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Soleimani’s grandniece had her green card revoked following revelations about her connections to Soleimani. Rubio stated that Soleimani Afshar openly supports the Iranian regime, which has been known to claim credit for attacks on Americans. Both detainees are currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) awaiting deportation.
Soleimani, the former head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, was killed in a drone strike authorized by President Trump in 2020.
The White House chose not to comment directly on the arrests, redirecting inquiries to the State Department and subsequently to the Department of Homeland Security.
According to Acting Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Lauren Biss, both relatives entered the U.S. in 2015—Soleimani Afshar on a tourist visa in June, and Hosseini on a student visa in July. A judge granted them asylum status in 2019. Biss noted that Soleimani Afshar became a green card holder during the Biden administration in 2021, while Hosseini received hers in 2023.
Biss added that Soleimani Afshar applied for naturalization last July, disclosing multiple trips to Iran since receiving his green card. These visits raise suspicions about the validity of his asylum claim, which Biss termed potentially fraudulent.
Simon Hankinson from the Heritage Foundation expressed that current asylum application standards are surprisingly lenient, with some judges enforcing them strictly while others take a more relaxed approach, often for ideological reasons. He speculated that Soleimani’s relatives may have claimed persecution by the Iranian regime, but it seems unlikely given their reported support for it.
USCIS is now working on a “layered review plan” in light of these findings, aiming to enhance background checks and identify risks associated with countries delineated in travel bans. Biss emphasized that receiving a green card in the U.S. is a privilege, and any evidence suggesting a threat could lead to its revocation.
