Trump Administration Held Secret Talks With Iran on Deportations During War
Unsealed court documents show the Trump administration pursued travel papers and removal routes with Iran during the war, as a federal judge warned deportees could face “certain death.”
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The Trump administration kept negotiating with Iran over the deportation of Iranian nationals while the two countries were at war, according to unsealed U.S. court records obtained by the Associated Press.
The contacts with Iranian officials focused on securing travel documents and exploring “possible avenues for removal”. One option was routing deportees through an unnamed third country.
The government still had such plans in place as recently as mid-October 2026. When any flights might depart remains unclear.
Judge Questions Removals to a “declared Enemy”
The disclosures put Judge Ana C. Reyes of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia at the center of the dispute. At an October 15 hearing, she questioned government lawyers on the administration’s intentions.
Reyes asked whether the U.S. would return people facing “at a minimum, a serious threat of certain death”. She cited President Donald Trump’s own descriptions of Iran as essentially lawless and as an enemy that had killed tens of thousands of protesters.
Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel, the Justice Department attorney, did not hesitate. “Yes, your honor. The government is executing lawful orders of removal,” he said.
The “certain death” characterization was the judge’s, not the government’s. The DOJ attorney did not adopt it, but confirmed the administration intended to proceed with removals.
Reyes also questioned the logic of sending people “to a country that we have bombed and we may continue bombing, and is a declared enemy of this country.”
Contempt Threat
The court has since tightened its oversight. The government must notify the court within 24 hours of any finalized plan to deport Iranians to Iran or any other country.
It must also provide five days’ written notice before any such deportation. Reyes warned that violations could result in contempt.
The Justice Department argued in a filing that, given the contempt risk, the order effectively operates as an injunction.
Detainees Told of Flight via Pakistan
The Iranian Interests Section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington has served as Tehran’s channel in the talks.
On November 5, the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund (IALDF) said at least 12 Iranian detainees had been contacted by the Interests Section in the preceding week. According to the group, they were told of a potential deportation flight to Iran via Pakistan.
None had received written notice from U.S. immigration authorities, according to IALDF executive director Yasmine Chubin. The group said one detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be sent back, and two others were transferred to detention in Texas.
The Justice Department told the court no specific removal date had been set.
The Lawsuit
The case, Iranian American Legal Defense Fund v. Rubio et al., was filed on July 7, 2026. IALDF and Public Citizen Litigation Group allege that confidential information from asylum files was shared with Iran, in breach of federal regulations 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.6 and 236.1(e).
Defendants include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director David Venturella.
The complaint alleges that a State Department meeting in March 2025 handed Iranian officials a list of roughly 150 detained Iranians. Monthly meetings followed, according to the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs say in-person meetings largely stopped after major U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February 2026, a campaign launched under the name Operation Epic Fury. Document packages reportedly continued to flow.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government. DHS and the State Department did not immediately respond to AP’s requests for comment on the wartime talks.
Earlier Deportation Flights
The talks build on an established channel. Emails among U.S. immigration officials show coordination that returned more than 100 Iranians on three flights in September 2025, December 2025 and January 2026.
Iranian officials requested last-minute changes to passenger manifests, and ICE complied in multiple cases, according to the emails.
An Iranian official had previously said up to about 400 people could be returned. The latest disclosures come as Washington weighs its next steps in the war with Tehran.
Kamer Kurunç
Kamer Kurunç is the Team Leader of Clash Report and has led the outlet for four years. He oversees its breaking world news coverage, from the Middle East and the Russia-Ukraine war to defense and global politics. His focus is fast, verified, source-based reporting. Follow him on X at @kamerknc.
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