Court papers show Trump officials talked deportations with Iran during the war

Court papers unsealed Thursday show the Trump administration kept talking with Iran's government about deporting Iranians even after the U.S. war with Iran began, the Associated Press reported ¹. As recently as mid-October, the administration told a federal judge it planned to send Iranians home through an unnamed third country. It did not say when ¹.

The news comes days after a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked a separate plan to deport detained Afghans through Pakistan ⁴. Some of those Afghans are relatives of people who worked with the U.S. military ⁸. The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Iran or with Afghanistan's Taliban rulers ²⁵.

What the court papers show

The Iranian case was brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The group's lawsuit says immigration agencies improperly shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Tehran ¹. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denies sharing asylum application records with Iran ².

According to the filings, officials contacted Iran during the war to submit travel documents and look for ways to carry out removals ¹. Hundreds of emails show the two countries set up three flights, in September 2025, December 2025 and January 2026. Together they flew more than 100 Iranians back to Iran ².

From Channel GOPOssoff reads Trump's own Iran war claims backJon Ossoff · 236 plays · captioned, with the source named

Deportations to Iran have been rare because the two countries have no diplomatic relations ². The State Department said it generally does not comment on pending lawsuits or private diplomatic talks, and it referred questions to DHS. DHS did not immediately respond ².

A judge's alarm

At an Oct. 15 hearing, a Justice Department lawyer told U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes that no removals to Iran had been planned as of August, but "Today that answer has changed and it is yes" ³. Reyes asked whether the government meant to remove people in its custody "to a country with which we are at war" ³.

It is like saying we have individuals in 1942 in this country that we are going to send back to Nazi Germany.

Reyes raised the risk that people sent back could face a serious threat of death. The department's lawyer answered "Yes, your honor," according to the transcript AP reported ². He also defended the plan.

The government is executing lawful orders of removal.

Reyes ordered the government to tell the court within 24 hours of finalizing any deportation plan, and to give five days' written notice before anyone is removed ¹. She warned she would start contempt proceedings if the order was broken ³. In a filing Wednesday, the Justice Department argued that the threat of sanctions makes her order work like an injunction, a court order blocking the government from acting ².

The legal defense fund says at least a dozen Iranian detainees were told in the past week they would be deported to Iran, possibly as soon as Sunday. None of them got written notice ². The group says Iran's office in Washington, which sits inside the Pakistani Embassy, told detainees about a flight through Pakistan. It says one detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be sent back ². "This flight must be stopped," said Yasmine Chubin, the group's executive director ².

Afghans who stood with U.S. troops

A U.S. official told CBS News the administration planned to deport nearly 200 Afghans held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They would be flown to Pakistan first, and Pakistani officials would then send them to Taliban-run Afghanistan ⁵. In an Oct. 30 sworn statement, an ICE officer said a flight then set for Nov. 3 would end in Pakistan, "with further transport onward to Afghanistan" ⁵.

On Nov. 2, Rep. Scott Peters, a California Democrat, led 65 members of Congress in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin ⁶⁸. The letter asked them to cancel deportation flights of Afghans and Iranians, whether direct or through another country. It warned that relatives of Afghans who helped American troops could be on board and remain targets today ⁶.

Our nation made a promise to stand by the Afghans who risked their lives

On Nov. 3, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni temporarily barred the government from deporting Afghans to Afghanistan or Pakistan. Her order runs through Saturday, Nov. 7 ⁴. Government lawyers told her there were "no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights" for that purpose ⁴. DHS has defended sending people to third countries, telling CBS that deportees get notice and assurances before removal ⁵.

This is a reprieve, not a resolution.

Why it matters

Democrats have pressed this issue for months. In February, 12 Senate Democrats, led by Tim Kaine of Virginia and Peter Welch of Vermont, wrote to Rubio. They said the administration was returning Iranians to the place they had fled for their lives ⁷.

The pattern is that the administration has kept these removals moving while revealing little, and judges have forced the details out. That matters because the people at stake include Afghans tied to America's longest war and Iranians facing a government the U.S. is now fighting ⁵¹.

Those checks may grow stronger. Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, an Army veteran, is in line to lead the Senate Armed Services Committee when the new Congress organizes in January ⁹. Until then, the courts are the main check: Caproni's order ends Saturday, and Reyes's notice rules are still in effect ⁴¹.

The Record

1. Feb 12, 2026Twelve Senate Democrats, led by Tim Kaine and Peter Welch, write to Secretary of State Marco Rubio about deportation flights to Iran ⁷
2. Oct 15, 2026A Justice Department lawyer tells Judge Ana Reyes that removals to Iran are now planned ³
3. Nov 2, 2026Rep. Scott Peters leads 65 lawmakers asking Rubio and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to cancel Afghan and Iranian deportation flights ⁶
4. Nov 3, 2026Judge Valerie Caproni temporarily blocks deportations of Afghans to Afghanistan or Pakistan through Nov. 7 ⁴
5. Nov 5, 2026Unsealed court papers show the administration talked with Iran about deportations during the war ¹

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<h2>Court papers show Trump officials talked deportations with Iran during the war</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/court-papers-show-trump-officials-talked-deportations-with-iran-during-the-war">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>Court papers unsealed Thursday show the Trump administration kept talking with Iran&#39;s government about deporting Iranians even after the U.S. war with Iran began, the Associated Press reported . As recently as mid-October, the administration told a federal judge it planned to send Iranians home through an unnamed third country. It did not say when .</p> <p>The news comes days after a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked a separate plan to deport detained Afghans through Pakistan . Some of those Afghans are relatives of people who worked with the U.S. military . The United States has no formal diplomatic relations with Iran or with Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban rulers .</p> <h2>What the court papers show</h2> <p>The Iranian case was brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The group&#39;s lawsuit says immigration agencies improperly shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Tehran . The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denies sharing asylum application records with Iran .</p> <p>According to the filings, officials contacted Iran during the war to submit travel documents and look for ways to carry out removals . Hundreds of emails show the two countries set up three flights, in September 2025, December 2025 and January 2026. Together they flew more than 100 Iranians back to Iran .</p> <p>Deportations to Iran have been rare because the two countries have no diplomatic relations . The State Department said it generally does not comment on pending lawsuits or private diplomatic talks, and it referred questions to DHS. DHS did not immediately respond .</p> <h2>A judge&#39;s alarm</h2> <p>At an Oct. 15 hearing, a Justice Department lawyer told U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes that no removals to Iran had been planned as of August, but &quot;Today that answer has changed and it is yes&quot; . Reyes asked whether the government meant to remove people in its custody &quot;to a country with which we are at war&quot; .</p> <blockquote><p>It is like saying we have individuals in 1942 in this country that we are going to send back to Nazi Germany.</p><p>&mdash; Ana Reyes, U.S. District Judge</p></blockquote> <p>Reyes raised the risk that people sent back could face a serious threat of death. The department&#39;s lawyer answered &quot;Yes, your honor,&quot; according to the transcript AP reported . He also defended the plan.</p> <blockquote><p>The government is executing lawful orders of removal.</p><p>&mdash; Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel, Justice Department attorney</p></blockquote> <p>Reyes ordered the government to tell the court within 24 hours of finalizing any deportation plan, and to give five days&#39; written notice before anyone is removed . She warned she would start contempt proceedings if the order was broken . In a filing Wednesday, the Justice Department argued that the threat of sanctions makes her order work like an injunction, a court order blocking the government from acting .</p> <p>The legal defense fund says at least a dozen Iranian detainees were told in the past week they would be deported to Iran, possibly as soon as Sunday. None of them got written notice . The group says Iran&#39;s office in Washington, which sits inside the Pakistani Embassy, told detainees about a flight through Pakistan. It says one detainee attempted suicide after learning he might be sent back . &quot;This flight must be stopped,&quot; said Yasmine Chubin, the group&#39;s executive director .</p> <h2>Afghans who stood with U.S. troops</h2> <p>A U.S. official told CBS News the administration planned to deport nearly 200 Afghans held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They would be flown to Pakistan first, and Pakistani officials would then send them to Taliban-run Afghanistan . In an Oct. 30 sworn statement, an ICE officer said a flight then set for Nov. 3 would end in Pakistan, &quot;with further transport onward to Afghanistan&quot; .</p> <p>On Nov. 2, Rep. Scott Peters, a California Democrat, led 65 members of Congress in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin . The letter asked them to cancel deportation flights of Afghans and Iranians, whether direct or through another country. It warned that relatives of Afghans who helped American troops could be on board and remain targets today .</p> <blockquote><p>Our nation made a promise to stand by the Afghans who risked their lives</p><p>&mdash; Scott Peters, U.S. representative, D-California</p></blockquote> <p>On Nov. 3, U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni temporarily barred the government from deporting Afghans to Afghanistan or Pakistan. Her order runs through Saturday, Nov. 7 . Government lawyers told her there were &quot;no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights&quot; for that purpose . DHS has defended sending people to third countries, telling CBS that deportees get notice and assurances before removal .</p> <blockquote><p>This is a reprieve, not a resolution.</p><p>&mdash; Shawn VanDiver, U.S. Navy veteran, president of #AfghanEvac</p></blockquote> <h2>Why it matters</h2> <p>Democrats have pressed this issue for months. In February, 12 Senate Democrats, led by Tim Kaine of Virginia and Peter Welch of Vermont, wrote to Rubio. They said the administration was returning Iranians to the place they had fled for their lives .</p> <p>The pattern is that the administration has kept these removals moving while revealing little, and judges have forced the details out. That matters because the people at stake include Afghans tied to America&#39;s longest war and Iranians facing a government the U.S. is now fighting .</p> <p>Those checks may grow stronger. Democrats won control of both the House and the Senate on Tuesday. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island, an Army veteran, is in line to lead the Senate Armed Services Committee when the new Congress organizes in January . Until then, the courts are the main check: Caproni&#39;s order ends Saturday, and Reyes&#39;s notice rules are still in effect .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/court-papers-show-trump-officials-talked-deportations-with-iran-during-the-war">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/court-papers-show-trump-officials-talked-deportations-with-iran-during-the-war.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. AP (via Yahoo News), “AP Exclusive: Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war” (2026-11-05). yahoo.com/news/us/articles/trump-administration-held-talks-i
2. AP (via Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), “US, Iran talked on deportations, documents show” (2026-11-06). arkansasonline.com/news/2026/nov/06/us-iran-talked-on-deport
3. ABC News, “Judge blasts administration for planning to deport Iranian immigrants back to Iran during wartime” (2026-11-05). abcnews.com/US/judge-blasts-administration-planning-deport-i
4. ABC News, “Judge temporarily blocks deportation of Afghan nationals” (2026-11-03). abcnews.com/US/judge-temporarily-blocks-deportation-afghan-n
5. CBS News, “ICE planning to deport Afghans through Pakistan, official says, prompting fears for their safety” (2026-11-02). cbsnews.com/news/ice-deportation-afghans-through-pakistan/
6. Office of Rep. Scott Peters, “Peters Urges Trump Admin to Cancel Mass Deportation Flights to Afghanistan and Iran” (2026-11-02). scottpeters.house.gov/press-releases/peters-urges-trump-admi
7. Office of Sen. Jeff Merkley, “Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Demand Administration Immediately End Deportation Flights to Iran” (2026-02-12). merkley.senate.gov/es/wyden-merkley-colleagues-demand-admini
8. Khaama Press, “66 US Lawmakers Urge Halt to Deportation of 150 Afghans” (2026-11-03). khaama.com/us-lawmakers-urge-halt-deportation-150-afghans/
9. Military.com, “Dozens of Veterans Won Tuesday in a Midterm Wave Election That Hands Military Oversight to Democrats” (2026-11-04). military.com/dozens-of-veterans-won-their-races-in-a-midterm

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