Iran War: US government sticks to deportation plans to Iran despite the war

It is still unclear what will happen next in the Iran war after the defeat for Donald Trump and the Republicans in the midterms (more on that here). The US President fluctuates between threats and hints of a negotiation approach. The country and the region are still a long way from peace.

Despite the delicate situation on the ground, the US government under Trump prepared to deport Iranian citizens back home in October. Those affected should first be taken to an undisclosed third country. From there, the Iranian government was supposed to organize their onward journey to Iran, according to court documents that have since been published.

At a hearing in Washington on October 15, a US government lawyer confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security was working on plans to do so. A specific date has not yet been set. The current status of the considerations is not clear from the court documents that have so far become public.

At the hearing, the lawyer also spoke of discussions with foreign governments, possibly also with "the enemy power." He then did not contradict the judge's statement that the USA had already coordinated returns with Iranian authorities. When and with whom these contacts took place remained unclear.

The statements came during an initially non-public part of the hearing. When it came to the reasons for the secrecy, the government representative referred to national security and possible foreign policy consequences. According to him, the announcement of specific flight dates could endanger the safety of the flights and the people affected.

Sharp criticism from the federal judge

Federal Judge Ana Reyes expressed alarm at the deportation plans. She asked whether there were people among those affected who had applied for asylum in the USA. She warned of the danger that they could face death if they returned to Iran. The judge also pointed out that the US had bombed the country and might continue to bomb.

It obliged the government to inform the court within 24 hours of final deportation plans. In addition, the government must give at least five working days notice before a deportation. Another court document shows that the US immigration authorities ICE had already completed a corresponding plan on October 22nd. It is not clear how many people were affected and whether the plan included the previously discussed route via a third country.

The cooperation between the USA and Iran on deportations had already become known. Last year, US authorities coordinated the repatriation of Iranian nationals with representatives of Tehran. This is shown by internal ICE emails from August and September 2025 that have now been published. These include, among other things, regular meetings with Iranian representatives and the coordination of deportation lists.

The new documents come from a lawsuit brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. She accuses US authorities of passing on confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers to Iranian authorities. The government denies that there is such a general practice.