Leaked Emails Reveal ICE Coordinated with Iran to Deport 100+ Nationals Amid Active War
Newly released emails reveal that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actively coordinated with the Iranian government to deport over 100 Iranians in late 2025 and early 2026, even while the U.S. and Israel were engaged in a 12-day war with Iran. The correspondence, obtained by the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), shows ICE officials heeding Iranian requests to alter deportation lists and expedite removals, despite ongoing conflict and closed Iranian airspace. This marks a sharp departure from decades of U.S. policy that protected Iranian dissidents from repatriation. While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denies sharing asylum records, critics argue the operation prioritized mass removals over human rights, sending individuals to a regime they accused of persecution.