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ICE deported over 100 Iranian nationals in 2025 despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, according to a new report
Deportations included activists and minorities who feared persecution and faced challenges due to Iran’s lack of cooperation
A lawsuit alleges ICE shared sensitive asylum seeker information with Iran, which the agency denies
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arranged deportation flights for Iranian nationals even as tensions between the United States and Iran were escalating, according to a new report.
U.S. officials organized multiple deportation flights to Iran in 2025, working with the Iranian regime and Qatari authorities to return more than 100 Iranian nationals. The flights included political activists and members of ethnic and religious minorities who had concerns about returning to Iran, according to newly released internal ICE emails reviewed by The Intercept.
For years, deporting Iranians had been difficult because the United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1979. Iran often did not provide the documents needed for deportation, and some Iranian nationals facing removal had concerns about persecution if they returned.
On June 19, 2025, ICE leadership reportedly instructed officials to begin prioritizing Iranian deportation cases.
“Please begin working on a plan to remove all removable FO [final order] Iranians in custody,” ICE official Marcos Charles wrote, per The Intercept. “We need a plan forward ASAP.”
Officials initially warned that deportations would be difficult because Iran was not issuing travel documents and its airspace was closed during the conflict.
“Unfortunately I do not have great news,” one official wrote. “I’ve learned from the team that Iran is currently uncooperative and does not issue [travel documents] in a timely manner.” Despite those difficulties, ICE continued working on the flights, the report claims.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
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The first major flight left the United States on Sept. 29, 2025. It eventually reached Qatar, where 54 Iranian nationals were transferred to a Qatar Airways flight and flown to Tehran.
The emails show that Iran had apparently requested that three specific people be included on the flight.
“The lran Embassy just issued passports or travel documents for the three listed below. They requested them to be added to the flight leaving out on the 29th,” officials wrote.
There was also an apparent mistake involving another passenger. An Iranian national who was not on the final passenger list ended up on the flight.
“An Iranian national not included on the final manifest we sent to Qatari MOI was boarded on the flight,” an ICE official reportedly wrote. “This is unfortunate.”
A colleague responded, “I have no idea how the case/person got through to the plane,” according to The Intercept, and the person was ultimately sent to Iran.
The emails have also raised questions about whether U.S. officials shared sensitive information about Iranian asylum seekers with Iranian authorities. A lawsuit filed last month in federal court by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund has made that allegation, while ICE has denied it.
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The lawsuit alleged that since March last year, U.S. government officials have “periodically mailed or hand delivered” Iranian immigration records. According to the filing, the Trump administration’s main goal was to “get rid of all Iranians.”
“These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told NBC News.
ICE and the DHS, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Wednesday, Aug. 19.
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