ICE and Iran worked together to deport over 100 Iranians, newly released emails show

Newly released emails reveal a surprising working relationship between the United States and Iran, showing that immigration officials coordinated with the Iranian government to deport more than 100 individuals across three flights, the Associated Press reported. These documents, obtained by the National Iranian American Council and made public on Tuesday, provide a detailed look at how these removals were handled between September 2025 and January 2026.

It is clear from the correspondence that Iranian officials held significant sway over the process. In late August, an unnamed ICE official wrote, “Per request from the Iran Embassy I added a few cases,” just a month before the first flight took off. The influence continued as the departure date neared. Just over a week after that initial request, an official mentioned they met with the “Director at the Iranian Embassy” to make further adjustments. The official noted, “Iran has requested that I amend the previous manifest and expedite the removal process.”

Emails show that ICE officials prioritized these deportations during the 12-day war between the United States, Israel, and Iran that occurred in June 2025. Following a June 16 warning from President Trump on social media, acting ICE director Todd Lyons identified the repatriation of Iranian immigrants as a priority.

The coordination remained a major focus for the administration even during intense geopolitical conflict

Even when staff warned that the conflict made the process difficult because Iranian airspace was closed and travel documents were not being issued, Marcos Charles, the head of removal operations, pushed for a resolution. He instructed his team to find a way forward, with one official noting the need to “identify a solution for this White House priority.”

The process was not without its complications or irregularities. In one instance, an official admitted that an individual was mistakenly put on a flight, writing, “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.” While some logistics were handled through Qatari officials who helped charter flights through Doha, other interactions involved direct meetings with Iranian delegations.

These revelations have drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates, especially given the history of the United States welcoming Iranian dissidents and exiles since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Jamal Abdi, the president of the National Iranian American Council, argued that the emails show a focus on volume over policy consistency. “It demonstrates that the top priority here was to kick out as many people as possible by whatever means necessary,” Abdi said.

Furthermore, the documents confirm that Iranian officials were granted access to meet with detainees held by ICE. This aligns with claims made in a July lawsuit, where eleven Iranians in detention stated they were forced to meet with government officials who had specific knowledge of their asylum claims.

While the Department of Homeland Security previously stated in July that allegations of sharing asylum records were false, the internal emails show a high level of cooperation regarding the management of these individuals.

As of the time of writing, the Department of Homeland Security had not provided a comment on these latest findings.