Court documents show US kept contacts with Iran over deportations during war

Court documents show the US administration maintained contacts with Iranian officials during the war about removing Iranians from the United States. The contacts covered the submission of travel documents and the identification of "possible avenues for removal", according to the documents, which The Guardian quoted.

An unsealed transcript of a 15 October hearing records Judge Ana Reyes questioning a Justice Department attorney. The Guardian quoted her as saying: "And what you’re telling me is that the United States of America is going to send individuals back to that region, facing what you and I and everyone who would ever look at this would know would be, at a minimum, a serious threat of certain death."

Attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel replied: "Yes, your honor." He added: "The government is executing lawful orders of removal."

In a court filing on Wednesday, the Justice Department said the judge's order effectively served as an injunction "given the possibility of sanctions and contempt dangling overhead".

The Associated Press and The Guardian describe the talks as secret. According to The Guardian, the documents were unsealed on Thursday and obtained by the AP. The Guardian's account relies on those AP-obtained documents, so the two reports count as one reporting origin. Vocemundi reviewed only a summary of the AP report.

The Guardian also reported that:

• Reyes ordered 24-hour notice to the court of any finalized plans to deport Iranians to Iran or another country, and five days' written notice before any such deportation.
• Reyes warned she would start contempt proceedings if the administration violated her order on advance notice of flights.
• Georgiev-Remmel told the court no specific date had been set for removals.
• As recently as mid-October, the administration said it planned to deport Iranians through an unnamed third country.
• Emails between US immigration officials showed the two countries worked together to arrange three flights carrying more than 100 Iranians to Iran in September and December 2025 and January 2026.

Such deportations have historically been rare, The Guardian reported, because the two countries lack diplomatic relations and deportees could face persecution.

What is disputed

A lawsuit brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund alleges that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Iran's government. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denies sharing asylum application records with Iran's government.

What each side says

• Plaintiffs: The lawsuit depicts a coordinated US-Iranian campaign to identify Iranians in ICE custody and pressure them to return.
• Iranian American Legal Defense Fund: At least 12 detainees were contacted in the past week by the Iranian Interest Section in Washington about a flight to Iran through Pakistan. The group says none has received written information from immigration authorities. Executive director Yasmine Chubin says one detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be returned.
• Justice Department: The government is carrying out lawful removal orders.
• DHS and State Department: Neither immediately responded to a request for comment, according to The Guardian.

The reports do not independently verify the detainees' accounts. They do not include a response from Iran's government, give a date for any deportation or name the third country.

Analysis

The disclosures raise legal and practical questions, and this assessment takes no side. Legally, the case may test how far a court can supervise removals the government describes as lawful, including through notice requirements. Practically, the reports suggest that removals to Iran may involve coordination between two countries without diplomatic relations, although the reports do not describe who took part in the contacts or how often they occurred. The asylum allegation remains unresolved. Further filings could clarify whether confidential information was shared, whether flights are planned and whether the judge changes her notice requirements.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.