ICE Arrests LA Residents Linked to Iranian Regime

A man in Los Angeles who rents a property from the niece of Iranian terrorist leader Gen. Qassem Soleimani has realized that the mother-daughter duo had likely been under ICE scrutiny for a while before their recent arrest. Hamid Soleimani Afshar, 47, and his daughter Salinasadat Hosseini, 25, were apprehended by ICE whose agents revoked their green cards due to their connections to the Iranian government.

The State Department has reported instances of Afshar praising attacks on U.S. soldiers and military sites, expressing admiration for Iran’s supreme leader, labeling the U.S. as “the great devil,” and supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps—a group classified as a terrorist organization.

Harassius Bradford, 50, a piano teacher who leases a single-story property owned by Afshar, described the chaos of the arrest happening around 5 PM on Friday. He mentioned that ICE had been conducting operations in the area leading up to the detainment.

On his way back to his rental during the incident, Bradford saw the street blocked off by an ICE vehicle and three patrol cars from the Los Angeles Police Department. “It was crazy to see what happened,” he remarked, noting he did not witness the women being taken away.

Later that Saturday, Bradford discovered that Afshar had been residing in a small auxiliary dwelling unit (ADU) behind the main house he rented. He noted she purchased the property in 2021 for around $505,000. Inside the modest residence, roughly 20 miles north of downtown Los Angeles, there were items like a ring light for selfies and a mannequin to display designer clothes.

On Saturday, Afshar was driving a black Tesla loaded with luxury items, including a Miss Dior bag and Hermès cushions. There were also several parking tickets found scattered about, along with Arabic writing visible inside the vehicle.

Interestingly, Friday marked the first time Bradford had met Hosseini in person. He explained that both women were at the house for routine city inspections, which is how ICE caught them at that moment.

Hosseini’s boyfriend was there too and told Bradford that they were outside their home when ICE approached them, asking for Afshar’s whereabouts.

Bradford described Afshar as “crazy” and behaving oddly, mentioning she claimed to have cancer and was going through chemotherapy. He pointed out that old mattresses and furniture from prior tenants were left outside the main house.

The house, he said, was listed as a rental on Zillow, but because Afshar had limited English skills, arrangements were made online. Bradford had moved in on March 21, but he didn’t disclose his rental cost.

Both Afshar and Hosseini had curated online personas that projected a glamorous lifestyle in Los Angeles, complete with luxury goods and travel adventures. Hosseini appeared serene in her Instagram photos, often styled in chic outfits, which seemed at odds with their more modest living conditions.

Afshar had entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in 2015, received asylum in 2019, and became a green card holder in 2021. Meanwhile, Hosseini came in on a student visa in 2021 and obtained her green card in 2023.

Both had traveled to Iran several times, a fact that raised concerns for U.S. authorities. A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security stressed the gravity of the situation, stating that green card holders who pose a potential threat to the country could see their status revoked.

The arrests of Afshar and Hosseini align with other actions against individuals linked to the Iranian regime and underscore ongoing vigilance regarding threats tied to Soleimani’s network.