ICE, Iran quietly worked together on deporting Iranians to Iran, emails show

U.S. immigration officials collaborated with Iran to deport hundreds of Iranians in late 2025 and early 2026, according to recently released emails. The emails, obtained by the National Iranian American Council, provide detailed accounts of how the two nations cooperated, despite tensions between them. Between September and December 2025, and January 2026, more than 100 Iranians were flown back to Iran on three separate immigration flights.

Iranian officials had some influence over which Iranian immigrants were sent back, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials sometimes accommodated last-minute changes to the deportation lists requested by Iran.

One ICE official acknowledged receiving requests from the Iranian Embassy to modify the deportation list, with one such request being made just a month before the first deportation flight in September. Another official reported moving to change the list after meeting with the Director at the Iranian Embassy. Iran had requested the amendments and expedited removal process.

In a September 26 email, an ICE official mentioned that the Iranian Embassy was still requesting three additional Iranians for the flight, which ultimately ended up with fewer passengers than initially planned.

Despite internal concerns and denials, Iranian officials continued to make requests even after the flights departed. The coordination of these flights remained a top priority for ICE officials, even as they acknowledged that Iranians were fleeing Iran due to the war between the U.S. and Iran in June 2025. The deportations drew criticism from human rights activists, who pointed out that Iranians were being sent back to a country known for its violent persecution of women, religious minorities, and political dissidents. The Department of Homeland Security did not provide a comment on the matter.

The emails reveal a departure from the U.S. practice of welcoming Iranian dissidents and exiles since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, which forced many Iranians to flee. Iran had previously acknowledged that as many as 400 Iranians could be returned under an agreement with the Trump administration, though it is unclear from the emails how frequently U.S. immigration officials had direct contact with the Iranian government.

The emails suggest that pressure to carry out the deportations came from the highest levels of the Trump administration, even during the conflict with Iran in June 2025.