A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles claims that the Trump administration’s immigration agencies have shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. This alleged sharing of information violates national immigration regulations and potentially endangers many Iranians, according to court documents. The lawsuit suggests a coordinated effort between the U.S. and Iranian governments to identify Iranians in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and pressure them to return to Iran.
The Department of Homeland Security has refuted claims of sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government. Statistics from the National Iranian American Council indicate that approximately 600 Iranians were placed in immigration detention last year. An Iranian woman was deported to the Central African Republic in June, which contrasts with the U.S.’s traditional approach of welcoming Iranian dissidents and exiles since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Though cooperation with foreign governments for deportation logistics is permitted, federal regulations from the late 1990s prohibit sharing information that could reveal an individual’s asylum application status. Ali Rahnama, the interim executive director of Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, emphasized the importance of confidentiality protections mandated by Congress to safeguard lives.
Since March 2025, the U.S. State Department reportedly held monthly meetings with Iranian officials, using the Pakistani embassy as a mediator. During these meetings, U.S. officials allegedly disclosed sensitive details about detained Iranian immigrants intended for deportation. The American Legal Defense Fund and the Public Citizen Litigation Group’s complaint includes information related to asylum applications from individuals persecuted for converting to Christianity, their sexual orientation, or involvement in the 2022 protests against the Iranian government.
Ice reportedly compelled Iranian asylum seekers in detention to meet with an Iranian government official who was well-informed about their applications. This sharing of information allegedly continued even after joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February 2026.
In a statement, Homeland Security explained that ICE works to secure travel documents for detainees and facilitates consular access according to applicable laws and policies. Nonetheless, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied any sharing of asylum records with the Iranian government.
The lawsuit seeks to halt the sharing of asylum seekers’ information with the Iranian government and requests the appointment of an independent monitor to prevent future disclosures. Michael Kirkpatrick from the Public Citizen Litigation Group criticized the administration’s commitment to mass deportation over human life protection despite ongoing hostilities with Iran.
The defendants named in the lawsuit include the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and the Department of State.
This lawsuit emerges against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies, which resulted in over 600,000 deportations in 2025 and prompted 1.9 million immigrants to voluntarily depart. Iranian officials acknowledged an agreement with Trump’s administration which could return up to 400 Iranians. Deportation flights in September and December 2025, followed by one in January 2026, reportedly included asylum seekers among those sent back to Iran.
These events unfolded shortly before the war commenced, just weeks after the Iranian government forcibly suppressed protestors, killing thousands of citizens. Some of the deported individuals on these flights were said to be asylum seekers, according to a report from The New York Times.
Associated Press reporter Rebecca Santana contributed to this coverage.