Overview
- The National Iranian American Council released hundreds of internal ICE emails in mid‑August 2026 that document three charter flights in September 2025, December 2025 and January 2026 that returned more than 100 Iranians to Iran.
- The records show Iranian representatives asked for specific additions and changes to passenger manifests and ICE officials accommodated some last‑minute requests.
- ICE leadership treated the removals as a White House priority during the June 2025 conflict, directing staff to plan deportations even as travel documents and airspace were disrupted.
- Sworn declarations and court filings say Iranian diplomats met detained Iranians and appeared to know asylum‑case details, leading to a lawsuit that alleges improper data sharing while DHS denies those claims.
- Reporting by the BBC and The New York Times says some deportees were later summoned by Iranian security, one person was mistakenly boarded, and the disclosures have triggered new lawsuits and oversight questions that could affect policy and diplomacy.