- Internal US immigration documents, obtained by the National Iranian American Council, reveal coordination with Tehran to organise the return of dissidents.
- Between May and November 2025, over 100 Iranians were deported on three charter flights under the interim directorship of Todd Lyons.
- These forced repatriations occurred shortly before military strikes by the United States and Israel.
Internal Emails Reveal Deportation Management
Internal email exchanges from the US Customs and Immigration Enforcement service, obtained by the National Iranian American Council through a Freedom of Information Act request, reveal direct cooperation between federal authorities and Iranian representatives. Between May and November 2025, US agents organised three special charter flights to return over 100 Iranian nationals to Tehran. The planning of these flights occurred under the authority of the agency’s then-acting director, Todd Lyons, under significant pressure from senior US administration officials. The communications demonstrate direct and indirect contacts, notably via Qatar, to arrange the logistics of these repatriations, thereby acceding to requests made by Tehran targeting specific individuals residing in the United States.
Break from Traditional Asylum Policy
These mass repatriation operations targeted several sensitive profiles, including political activists and members of religious or ethnic minorities at risk of severe persecution upon their arrival on Iranian soil. This concerted effort marks a major break from the immigration doctrine applied for several decades by Washington towards nationals of this country. Until then, Iranian citizens subject to a deportation order were generally allowed to remain in the US due to the risks faced under the theocratic regime. The execution of these deportations took place just weeks before the launch of joint military operations between the United States and Israel against Iran, a conflict that resulted in significant human losses.
