Newly released emails uncover a working relationship between U.S. immigration officials and the Iranian government to coordinate deportation flights, despite escalating geopolitical tensions.

  • Leaked emails reveal direct coordination between ICE and the Iranian Embassy regarding deportation manifests.
  • Iranian officials successfully requested last-minute additions to deportation lists.
  • Coordination continued even during the peak of the 2025 U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict.

A cache of hundreds of emails obtained by the National Iranian American Council has revealed a clandestine working relationship between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Iranian government. The documents provide a detailed account of how the two nations collaborated to facilitate the deportation of over 100 Iranians via three separate flights between late 2025 and early 2026.

The correspondence indicates that Iranian officials exerted significant influence over the selection of individuals to be repatriated. In one instance, an ICE official noted, "Per request from the Iran Embassy I added a few cases," highlighting the degree of direct intervention by foreign diplomats in U.S. immigration processes. This undermines previous assertions by the Trump administration that its stance toward Iran was strictly aimed at protecting citizens from a repressive regime.

Read Also:Pakistan Snubbed: Munir and Shahbaz Excluded from US-Iran Talks

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that these revelations expose a profound contradiction in U.S. foreign policy. While the official rhetoric emphasized hostility toward the Iranian regime, the operational reality involved high-level cooperation to execute deportations. This marks a sharp departure from the decades-long U.S. tradition of providing sanctuary to Iranian dissidents and political exiles fleeing persecution.

The direct involvement of the Iranian Embassy in shaping deportation manifests represents a significant breach of traditional immigration sovereignty.

Furthermore, the emails suggest that these deportation efforts were prioritized even during periods of intense military conflict. In June 2025, as the U.S. and Israel engaged in a 12-day war with Iran, ICE officials continued to coordinate these flights. In some instances, communication was routed through Qatari officials in Doha to charter the flights, while other times, direct meetings with the "Iranian delegation" were referenced.

The lack of oversight is also evident in the documents. One email admitted that an individual not included on the official manifest was nonetheless boarded onto a flight, with an official stating, "I have no idea how the case/person got through on the plane."

Did You Know?: Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the United States has historically been a primary destination for Iranian political dissidents seeking asylum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Did Iran have a say in who was deported?
Yes, the emails show that the Iranian Embassy made specific requests to add individuals to the deportation manifests.

Question 2: Was this coordination happening during the war?
Yes, the emails confirm that deportation coordination remained a high priority even during the June 2025 military conflict.