Hundreds of emails obtained by the National Iranian American Council and released this week document collaboration between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and the Iranian government to arrange deportation flights. The correspondence shows that more than 100 Iranian nationals were returned to Iran through three separate flights departing in September and December 2025 and January 2026.
The emails indicate that Iranian embassy officials exercised influence over which Iranian immigrants were included on deportation manifests. U.S. immigration officials documented requests from Iranian representatives to add cases to removal lists and expedite the deportation process. As recently as three days before one flight’s departure, Iranian officials were still submitting requests for additional deportees, though some of those requests were reportedly denied. At least one person not included on the final manifest was boarded on a flight, according to internal correspondence.
The coordination occurred amid significant geopolitical tensions, including a military conflict between the U.S., Israel, and Iran in June 2025. Despite acknowledging internally that Iranians were fleeing the country during this period, ICE officials continued to prioritize the deportation operations. Senior leadership within the Trump administration emphasized the importance of the repatriations, with internal communications describing the effort as a priority even as the conflict was ongoing.
The emails suggest that communication channels between the two governments included direct meetings as well as indirect coordination through Qatari officials who assisted in chartering the deportation flights. The extent of routine contact between U.S. immigration officials and Iranian government representatives remains unclear from the released correspondence. Additionally, separate litigation filed in July has alleged that U.S. immigration agencies illegally shared confidential information about Iranian asylum-seekers with Iranian authorities, with detained Iranians reporting forced meetings with government officials who possessed detailed knowledge of their asylum claims.
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