Trump Administration Reportedly Held Secret Deportation Talks With Iran Even During The War

The Trump administration secretly coordinated with Iranian officials on deportations while the United States was at war with Iran, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press, prompting a federal judge to demand advance notice before any removals proceed.

The records, unsealed Thursday, show officials were still considering deporting Iranians through an unidentified third country as recently as mid-October. No departure date had been set, a Justice Department attorney told the court.

The disclosure places the administration's immigration crackdown alongside its military campaign against Iran, with people in U.S. custody potentially facing return to a country Washington has attacked and whose government President Donald Trump has accused of killing protesters.

At an October 15 hearing, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes challenged the government over the related dangers, citing Trump's own descriptions of Iran as an enemy state where authorities violently suppress dissent.

Reyes warned that deportees would face, "at a minimum, a serious threat of certain death," according to the transcript cited by AP. "Yes, your honor," Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel responded. "The government is executing lawful orders of removal."

Reyes ordered officials to notify the court within 24 hours of finalizing plans to deport Iranians to Iran or another country, and to provide five days' written notice before carrying out a deportation. She warned that violations could trigger contempt proceedings.

The documents emerged in a lawsuit brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund alleging immigration officials improperly shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Tehran. The group argues those disclosures violated immigration regulations and exposed people seeking protection to additional danger.

The Department of Homeland Security has denied sharing asylum application records with Iran. DHS and the State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest developments, AP reported.

According to the documents, contacts during the war concerned travel paperwork and potential routes for deportations. That cooperation continued despite the countries' longstanding diplomatic estrangement and ongoing military confrontation.

The legal defense fund said Thursday that at least 12 Iranian detainees had been contacted during the previous week by Iran's Interests Section, which operates through Pakistan's Embassy in Washington and handles consular matters.

Those detainees were told of an upcoming deportation flight through Pakistan, the organization said. The group did not provide a departure date and said immigration authorities had given them no written information. Pakistan was identified by the group, while the government's October court disclosure left the transit country unnamed.

One detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be returned, the organization's executive director, Yasmine Chubin, told AP. He and another detainee were subsequently transferred to a Texas detention center, according to the group.

In a Wednesday filing, the Justice Department argued that Reyes' notice requirements effectively operated as an injunction because officials faced possible sanctions or contempt. Deportations to Iran have historically been uncommon because of the absence of diplomatic relations and concerns about persecution.

Earlier emails examined by AP nevertheless documented cooperation that returned more than 100 Iranians on three flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. The administration has also used other countries to overcome obstacles to removals, including destinations where deportees have no personal connection. An Iranian woman was among two dozen migrants deported to the Central African Republic in June.