U.S. and Iran Worked Together to Deport Iranians in 2025-2026, Emails Reveal

Important Points:

• Newly released emails show the U.S. and Iranian governments coordinated on deportation flights despite high tensions between the two countries
• Over 100 Iranians were deported on three flights between September 2025 and January 2026
• Iranian officials influenced who got deported, including last-minute changes to flight manifests
• Some deportees were asylum-seekers who said they were sent back against their will
• Coordination continued even during a 12-day war between the U.S./Israel and Iran in June 2025

What Happened? (The Simple Version)

Imagine two neighbors who are arguing loudly and threatening each other. But behind the scenes, they’re quietly working together on a project. That’s basically what happened between the United States and Iran in 2025-2026.

The basics:

• Who: U.S. immigration officials (ICE) and Iranian government officials
• What: Arranged three flights to send over 100 Iranians back to Iran
• When: September 2025, December 2025, and January 2026
• How we know: Hundreds of internal emails were obtained by the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) and made public

How the Deportation Flights Worked

The Flights at a Glance

Who Decided Who Got on the Planes?

The emails show Iranian officials had significant say in who was deported:

1. "Per request from the Iran Embassy I added a few cases" — ICE official, late August 2025
2. "Iran has requested that I amend the previous manifest and expedite the removal process" — ICE official, early September 2025
3. Iranian Embassy still making requests three days before the first flight departed
4. Some requests were denied on departure day, but others were apparently honored

Important: It’s not clear if the people Iran requested to be deported:

• Volunteered to return, OR
• Were forced onto the flights

A Mistake Happened

One email reveals: "An Iranian not included on the final manifest we sent to the Qatari MOI was boarded on the flight."

Another official responded: "I have no idea how the case/person got through on the plane."

The Timing Is Striking: Cooperation During War

The Conflict

• June 13–24, 2025: 12-day war between U.S./Israel and Iran
• Iranians were fleeing the country during bombings
• Iranian airspace was closed to all flights
• Iran wasn’t issuing travel documents needed for deportation

But the U.S. Kept Pushing

June 16, 2025: Trump posts on social media: "Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!"

Shortly after: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons emails staff calling Iranian repatriation a "priority"

ICE Chief of Removal Operations Marcos Charles forwards the message and says: "We need a plan forward ASAP"

Another official urges colleagues to "identify a solution for this White House priority"

Important: Jamal Abdi (President of NIAC) says this undermines claims that the U.S. was at war with Iran to protect ordinary Iranians from a repressive government. Instead, he says: "The top priority here was to kick out as many people as possible by whatever means necessary."

A Big Change from Past Policy

The Old Way (Since 1979)

For decades after Iran’s Islamic Revolution, the U.S. welcomed Iranian dissidents, exiles, and people fleeing persecution.

The New Way (2025-2026)

These emails show a clear departure from that practice — sending people back to a country the U.S. itself says has a "pattern of violent persecution against women, religious minorities, and political dissidents."

Human rights activists have strongly criticized these deportations.

Iranian Officials Met with Detainees — That’s Unusual

What the Emails Show

ICE officials arranged for Iranian government officials to meet with people detained in U.S. immigration facilities.

What Detainees Say (From a Separate Lawsuit)

Eleven Iranians in detention swore under oath that:

• They were forced to meet with Iranian officials while in ICE custody
• Those Iranian officials knew intimate details about their asylum claims
• This suggests confidential asylum information was shared with the Iranian government

The Legal Problem

U.S. law allows coordinating deportation logistics with foreign governments.

BUT federal regulations from the late 1990s prohibit sharing information that could reveal someone applied for asylum.

DHS Response

The Department of Homeland Security strongly denies the allegations:

"These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE."

Who Helped Make the Flights Happen?

• Qatari officials helped charter the flights through Doha (Qatar’s capital)
• Sometimes messages went through Qatar; sometimes ICE met directly with:
  • "Iranian delegation"
  • "Director at the Iranian Embassy"
  • Other unnamed Iranian officials

Summary

In simple terms: Despite being enemies in public — even fighting a short war — the U.S. and Iranian governments quietly cooperated to deport over 100 Iranians. Iranian officials helped pick who got sent back. Some of those people may have been asylum-seekers sent back against their will. The U.S. pushed hard for these flights even while Iranians were fleeing war. This marks a major shift from decades of U.S. policy protecting Iranians fleeing persecution. A lawsuit alleges the U.S. improperly shared confidential asylum info with Iran, which the government denies.

FAQ

1. How many Iranians were deported total?

Over 100 Iranians were deported across three flights between September 2025 and January 2026. Iranian officials initially said up to 400 could be returned under the agreement.

2. Did the people deported want to go back to Iran?

It’s not clear from the emails. Some reports say asylum-seekers were among those deported, and some said they were sent back against their will. The emails don’t show whether people volunteered.

3. Why is this a big deal?

Two reasons:

• The U.S. and Iran were enemies (even at war briefly), yet worked together on this
• The U.S. has long welcomed Iranians fleeing persecution since 1979 — this reverses that policy
• Sending people back to a country the U.S. says persecutes women, minorities, and dissidents raises serious human rights concerns

4. Did the U.S. share asylum secrets with Iran?

A lawsuit alleges yes — that Iranian officials knew private details about detainees’ asylum claims. DHS strongly denies this. The case is ongoing.

5. Who authorized this at the highest level?

Emails show pressure came from the Trump White House. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons called it a "priority," and officials were told to find a "solution for this White House priority" — even during active conflict with Iran.