U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials worked directly with Iranian representatives to facilitate deportation flights for Iranian nationals in 2025 and early 2026, newly disclosed emails show. The records, obtained by the National Iranian American Council and released on Tuesday, detail three removal flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026 that returned more than 100 Iranians to Iran. The emails indicate Iranian officials requested and secured changes to deportation manifests, including last-minute additions to passenger lists.
ICE accommodated Iranian requests for list changes
Emails from August 2025 show an unnamed ICE employee wrote: “Per request from the Iran Embassy I added a few cases.” A separate email from the same month, attributed to another ICE official, stated: “Iran has requested that I amend the previous manifest and expedite the removal process.” The officials noted meeting with the “Director at the Iranian Embassy” to discuss these adjustments. On September 26, 2025, three days before the first deportation flight, an ICE official reported that Iranian Embassy representatives were still requesting the inclusion of three additional individuals on the manifest. While some requests were denied, the correspondence indicates ongoing coordination even as the flights prepared for departure.
Scope and timeline of the deportation flights
The three flights—occurring in September 2025, December 2025, and January 2026—were organized despite escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Internal communications referenced Iranians fleeing the country amid a 12-day war with the U.S., yet the deportation efforts remained a priority for ICE officials. One email noted that the January 2026 flight was “much smaller than initially planned,” though it is unclear whether this was due to logistical constraints or other factors. The total number of individuals deported across the three flights exceeded 100, according to the released records.
Background: Tensions and diplomatic context
The deportation flights took place against a backdrop of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions, including military engagements and economic sanctions. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi dismissed threats from U.S. officials during this period, characterizing them as “failed policies.” The foreign ministry also reported diplomatic discussions with regional mediators, such as Pakistan, aimed at addressing political and security concerns. However, the emails indicate that despite these broader tensions, operational cooperation between U.S. immigration authorities and Iranian representatives continued on the specific issue of deportations.
Questions raised by the revelations
The disclosure of these emails has prompted questions about the nature of U.S.-Iran interactions during a period of strained relations. The records do not provide a clear explanation for why ICE officials accommodated Iranian requests or whether the deportations were linked to broader diplomatic or security objectives. The emails also do not specify the legal or procedural basis for the changes made to the deportation lists. Officials have not publicly commented on the revelations, and the identities of the ICE employees involved remain undisclosed.
Reaction from advocacy groups
The National Iranian American Council, which obtained and released the emails, has framed the cooperation as evidence of direct engagement between the two governments despite public hostility. The organization has not provided further details on its motivations for obtaining the records or the methods used to secure them. No other advocacy groups or government officials have issued statements in response to the revelations as of publication.