ICE worked with Iran to deport over 100 Iranians, emails show

Key Points:

• Newly released emails reveal that U.S. immigration officials collaborated with Iranian government representatives to deport over 100 Iranians on three flights between September 2025 and January 2026, despite escalating tensions between the two countries.
• Iranian officials influenced the selection of deportees and requested last-minute changes to deportation lists, with some deportees reportedly chosen by Iran; at least one individual was deported mistakenly.
• The deportations occurred amid a deadly 12-day war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran in June 2025, with U.S. officials prioritizing removals even as Iranians fled the country and airspace closures complicated logistics.
• Human rights advocates criticize the deportations due to Iran's record of persecuting women, religious minorities, and political dissidents, and concerns have been raised about the forced repatriation of asylum-seekers.
• Emails also indicate that Iranian officials had access to detainees in U.S. custody, raising allegations (denied by DHS) that confidential asylum information was shared improperly with the Iranian government.