The Trump administration conducted secret talks with Iran to arrange deportations of Iranians even as the war there continued, according to court documents unsealed on Thursday. A judge has ordered the government to give the court advance notice of finalized plans to deport Iranians, warning that sending detainees back to a country 'we have bombed and we may continue bombing' could expose them to 'a serious threat of certain death.'
The documents, released in a lawsuit brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, show that the administration maintained contacts with Iranian officials during the war to submit travel documents and explore 'possible avenues for removal'. The court documents show that, as recently as mid-October, the administration said it planned to deport Iranians through an unnamed third country, though no specific date had been set.
The revelations emerge from an ongoing lawsuit that alleges US immigration agencies have been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, violating national immigration regulations and endangering countless Iranians. The Department of Homeland Security has denied sharing asylum application records.
During a 15 October hearing, US judge Ana Reyes questioned justice department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel about the safety of deporting Iranians while the US is at war with Iran. According to the unsealed transcript, Reyes said: 'We are at war with a country where the president of the United States has said, as recently as two or three days ago, if not yesterday, that it is essentially lawless … A country that is an enemy of the United States, according to the current president. A country that, according to our president, murdered tens of thousands of protestors.' She said the US was 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.' Georgiev-Remmel replied: 'Yes, your honor. The government is executing lawful orders of removal.'
The judge ordered the government to give the court 24-hour notice of any finalized plans to deport Iranians and five days' written notice before any such deportation. She warned she would initiate contempt proceedings if the order was violated.
The legal group representing the detainees said at least 12 Iranian detainees had been contacted by the Iranian Interest Section, an Iranian representative office in the Pakistani embassy in Washington, in the past week and notified of an upcoming deportation flight to Iran via Pakistan. One detainee attempted suicide upon learning he might be returned to Iran, according to Yasmine Chubin, the executive director of the organization. The group said none of the detainees had been provided any information in writing from immigration authorities.
Hundreds of emails obtained in the case show US and Iranian officials worked together to arrange three immigration flights carrying more than 100 Iranians back to Iran in September and December 2025 and January 2026. Such deportations are historically rare because the US and Iran have no diplomatic relations and returnees could face persecution.
In a court filing on Wednesday, the justice department said the judge's order effectively served as an injunction against the government 'given the possibility of sanctions and contempt dangling overhead.'
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Reveals cooperation between the Trump administration and Iran despite ongoing war, raising questions about the safety of deportees sent to a hostile country.
- Highlights the administration's aggressive push to deport individuals even from countries with no diplomatic relations, with potential legal and humanitarian consequences.
- The court's intervention could set a precedent for judicial oversight of deportation decisions during wartime.
Background
The Trump administration has pursued a broad immigration crackdown, pushing to deport people even from countries historically reluctant to accept returns. Deportations of Iranians have been rare due to the lack of diplomatic ties and the risk of persecution. The US and Iran cut diplomatic relations after the 1979 revolution, and the current administration has described Iran as a hostile state. Meanwhile, the US has been conducting military operations against Iran, with President Trump calling the country 'lawless' and an 'enemy.'
Key Perspectives
Judge Ana Reyes: questioned the legality and morality of deporting Iranians to a country at war with the US, calling it 'a serious threat of certain death.'
Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel: argued that the government is 'executing lawful orders of removal.'
Iranian American Legal Defense Fund: said detainees have been contacted by the Iranian Interest Section and notified of deportation, and one detainee attempted suicide.
Department of Homeland Security: has denied sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government.
What to Watch
- Whether the court will initiate contempt proceedings if the administration attempts deportations without proper notice.
- The outcome of the lawsuit alleging sharing of confidential asylum information with Iran.
- Potential fallout from the revelation of secret talks with Iran during wartime, both domestically and internationally.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedReyes said, “We are at war with a country where the president of the United States has said, as recently as two or three days ago, if not yesterday, that it is essentially lawless …”World news | The Guardian: ““We are at war with a country where the president of the United States has said, as recently as two or three days ago, if not yesterday, that it is essentially lawless …”
- SupportedReyes said deportees would face “a serious threat of certain death.”World news | The Guardian: ““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.””
- SupportedGeorgiev-Remmel replied, “Yes, your honor. The government is executing lawful orders of removal.”World news | The Guardian: ““Yes, your honor,” justice department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel said. “The government is executing lawful orders of removal.””
- SupportedThe justice department said the judge’s order effectively served as an injunction “given the possibility of sanctions and contempt dangling overhead”.World news | The Guardian: “In a court filing on Wednesday, the justice department said the judge’s order effectively served as an injunction against the government “given the possibility of sanctions and contempt dangling overhead”.”
- SupportedThe Trump administration held secret talks with Iran to arrange deportations of Iranians while the war continued.World news | The Guardian: “The Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians even as the war there dragged on, court documents obtained by the Associated Press show.”
- SupportedThe judge ordered 24-hour notice of finalized deportation plans and five days’ written notice before a deportation.World news | The Guardian: “The judge in the case ordered the government to give the court 24-hour notice of any finalized plans to deport Iranians to Iran or to any other country and five days’ written notice before any such deportation is carried out.”
- SupportedReyes warned she would initiate contempt proceedings if the government violated her order.World news | The Guardian: “During the 15 October hearing, Reyes warned government attorneys that she would initiate contempt proceedings if the administration violated her order to give the court advance notice of any planned deportation flights.”
- SupportedThe legal group said at least 12 detainees had been contacted by the Iranian Interest Section and notified of an upcoming deportation flight to Iran through Pakistan.World news | The Guardian: “The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund said on Thursday at least 12 Iranian detainees have been contacted by the Iranian Interest Section, an Iranian representative office in the Pakistani embassy in Washington that handles consular affairs, in the past week and notified of an upcoming deportation flight to Iran through Pakistan.”
- SupportedOne detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be returned to Iran, according to Yasmine Chubin.World news | The Guardian: “One of those detainees attempted suicide once he learned he might be returned to Iran, according to Yasmine Chubin, the executive director of the organization.”
- SupportedHundreds of emails show US and Iranian officials worked together to arrange three flights carrying more than 100 Iranians to Iran in September and December 2025 and January 2026.World news | The Guardian: “Hundreds of emails exchanged between US immigration officials exposed how the two countries worked together to arrange for more than 100 Iranians to be flown back to Iran on three immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026.”
- SupportedThe lawsuit alleges US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, violating national immigration regulations and endangering Iranians.World news | The Guardian: “The development emerged from an ongoing lawsuit that alleges the Trump administration’s immigration agencies have been sharing confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, violating national immigration regulations and endangering countless Iranians, court filings argue.”
- Partly supportedThe group said none of the detainees had received written information from immigration authorities.World news | The Guardian: “None of the detainees who have been contacted have been provided any information in writing from immigration authorities, the legal group said.”