E-Paper
Is Trump planning to revoke visas of 4,000 Iranian elites? Katie Miller says ‘The double standard not only…’
The US is taking action against Iranian elites living in the country, cancelling visas and tightening scrutiny.
As the United States continues its war with Iran, the Trump administration has started focusing on Iranian elites living in the US.
The move began with the revocation of Green Cards of Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny, the relatives of Qasem Soleimani, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General killed in a US airstrike in 2020. But this appears to be only the start.
At least four Iranian nationals connected to the current or former Iranian government have now had their visas or Green Cards revoked with two already detained by immigration authorities and facing deportation.
Thousands of Iranian elites under watch
Katie Miller, a podcaster and the wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, spoke on Fox News about the administration’s plans. She said President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are working to cancel the visas of around 3,000 to 4,000 Iranian elites currently living in the US.
Miller also questioned why so many people linked to Iran’s leadership have been allowed to live safely not just in the US, but also in Europe.
“I know that President Trump and Secretary Rubio are working so diligently to revoke the visas of nearly 3000 to 4000 Iranian elites who currently live in this country,” Miller said.
"The double standard not only in their wardrobe. But, in the fact that they get to live here in the greatest country in this world with safety and prosperity. Man, you couldn’t make it up Sean if you tried. I'm so glad to see President Trump and secretary Rubio taking this action” she added.
Also Read: MTG rips Trump for ‘whole civilization will die tonight’ warning to Iran: ‘This is evil and madness’
Iranians with regime ties under scrutiny
The arrests of Afshar and her daughter are among the most high-profile cases so far. The State Department described Afshar’s time in the US in strong terms. It said she “promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization” while also "enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account."
Afshar first came to the US on a tourist visa in 2015. She was granted asylum in 2019 and became a lawful permanent resident in 2021. However, in her 2025 citizenship application, officials said she revealed that she had made several trips back to Iran after getting her Green Card, which became a reason to disqualify her.
Her daughter had a similar journey. She entered the US on a student visa in July 2015, received asylum in 2019, and became a Green Card holder in 2023 before her status was later revoked.
Also Follow: Iran-US war LIVE
Crackdown extends beyond Los Angeles
The action was not limited to Los Angeles. In Atlanta, Dr Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani whose late father was a senior official in Tehran was removed from her role as an assistant professor at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute after public backlash over her position following the outbreak of war.
Earlier, the State Department had also revoked or declined to renew visas of several Iranian diplomats and staff members at Iran’s mission to the United Nations, including the deputy ambassador. Officials said those actions were taken before the recent protests and war, and were unrelated.
(with agency inputs)
