Overview
- Published internal ICE emails released in August 2026 detail planning that led to three deportation flights returning more than 100 Iranian nationals in September 2025, December 2025 and January 2026.
- The files show Iranian diplomatic representatives requested additions and last‑minute changes to passenger manifests, and officials flagged at least one person who was boarded though they did not appear on the final list.
- ICE relied on intermediaries and diplomatic channels to arrange the removals, using Qatar as a transit point and contacting Iran’s Section of Interests in Pakistan for travel documents and coordination.
- Civil complaints and sworn statements say some deportees were asylum seekers or were forced to meet Iranian officials while in U.S. custody, and a July 2026 lawsuit alleges improper sharing of asylum case details even as DHS denies turning over asylum records.
- The emails were released after FOIA litigation by the National Iranian American Council and have prompted public criticism, calls for Congressional oversight and potential investigations that remain open.