Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has introduced legislation that would revoke visas and block immigration benefits for close relatives of terrorists after federal authorities revealed that family members of slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani had been living legally in the United States.
The proposal, titled the “No Safe Haven for Terrorist Families Act,” comes after the Department of Homeland Security announced in April that it had arrested Soleimani’s niece and grandniece, both of whom had reportedly been granted asylum by United States immigration judges in 2019.
According to DHS, 47-year-old Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and 25-year-old Sarinasadat Hosseiny were both residing in the United States legally despite their family connection to the former commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force, formally designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Soleimani himself was killed in an American drone strike near Baghdad International Airport in January 2020 during President Donald Trump’s first term. The strike dramatically escalated tensions between the United States and Iran and remains one of the defining foreign policy decisions of the Trump administration.
Federal officials also revealed that Afshar later filed for naturalization in July 2025 and disclosed in her application that she had traveled back to Iran at least four times after receiving lawful permanent resident status.
The revelation drew renewed scrutiny to the asylum and immigration vetting process, particularly involving applicants connected to hostile foreign regimes and terrorist organizations.
Cotton’s legislation would create a permanent new category of inadmissibility specifically targeting close relatives of terrorists and dangerous foreign adversaries. Under the bill, spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces and nephews of designated terrorist figures would be barred from obtaining visas or immigrating to the United States.
The legislation would also require the secretary of state to revoke any existing visas held by such family members within 30 days of discovering their status.
“Relatives of terrorists have no business being in our country,” Cotton said in a statement. “My bill would revoke visas from family members of terrorists to keep Arkansans safer.”
The proposal is likely to intensify ongoing debates over immigration enforcement, asylum standards and national security vetting.
Supporters of the legislation argue that allowing close relatives of prominent terrorist figures to obtain immigration benefits creates unacceptable security risks and undermines public confidence in the immigration system.
Critics are expected to raise concerns about whether the bill unfairly punishes individuals based on family ties rather than personal conduct.
The legislation also arrives amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
Cotton has repeatedly pushed for stricter immigration controls involving countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism. The Arkansas senator has also been a vocal supporter of aggressive measures targeting Iran’s leadership and military apparatus.
READ NEXT: Trump Fires Back After WSJ Op-Ed Labels Him A ‘Sucker’ In Iran Talks Dispute
There must be exceptions.Fidel Castro’s daughter is a US citizen, and a great opponent of the Cuban regime.