US government prepared deportations of Iranians via third country during Iran war

Removal plans drawn up during the war

The Trump administration prepared deportations of Iranian nationals in October, while the United States was at war with Iran, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday, 5 November. The people concerned were to be taken first to an unnamed third country, from which the Iranian government would organise their onward travel to Iran. At a hearing in federal court in Washington on 15 October, a government lawyer confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security was working on such plans, but no specific date had been set. The public filings do not show how many people were affected or where the planning stood.

Contacts with Tehran during the war

The documents indicate that the United States kept in contact with Iranian authorities during the war about the removals, specifically about travel documents and 'possible routes for removal'. Earlier filings and emails show talks on deportations last year and shortly before the war began. At the hearing the government lawyer mentioned talks with foreign governments, possibly including 'the hostile power', and did not dispute the judge's account that returns were already being coordinated with Iranian officials. When those contacts took place, and with whom, was left open. Emails disclosed in August showed that more than 100 Iranians were deported to Iran in September and December 2025 and January 2026.

Judge warns of death risk

Judge Ana Reyes, who presides over the case, was alarmed and asked whether any of those affected had applied for asylum in the United States. She warned that they could face death if returned to Iran, citing the president's description of Iran as an enemy and his claim that its government had killed tens of thousands of protesters. Reyes also noted that the United States had bombed Iran and might do so again. She ordered the government to inform the court within 24 hours of any finalised removal plan and to give at least five working days' written notice before any deportation. When she pressed the matter, Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel replied:

“The government is executing lawful orders of removal.”

Lawsuit and detainees

The documents were released in a lawsuit brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, which represents Iranians held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The group said at least a dozen Iranian detainees had been told in the week before 5 November that they would be sent to Iran, some with the warning that it could happen as soon as Sunday, 8 November. The suit, filed in July, alleges that immigration agencies shared confidential information on Iranian asylum seekers with Tehran, dating the alleged sharing back to March 2025. The Department of Homeland Security has always denied the allegations. The two countries have no extradition agreements and no formal diplomatic relations since the 1980s, which makes deportation rare.