Lawsuit Alleges U.S. Sharing Iranian Asylum Seekers’ Information

A recent lawsuit claims that U.S. immigration agencies are unlawfully sharing information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. This act allegedly breaks national immigration laws and puts many Iranian lives at risk, as noted in court documents. The lawsuit outlines what it describes as a coordinated effort between the U.S. and Iran to identify Iranians detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and compel them to return to Iran. This would represent a significant shift from the typically hostile relations between the two nations.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied accusations of sharing such sensitive records with Iranian authorities. According to the National Iranian American Council, around 600 Iranians were detained in immigration facilities last year. Notably, an Iranian woman was among those deported to the Central African Republic, diverging from the longstanding U.S. tradition of offering refuge to Iranian dissidents and exiles since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Federal regulations from the late 1990s prevent the U.S. from divulging information that might hint that a deportee applied for asylum. Ali Rahnama of the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund emphasized the importance of these protections, stating they are vital for safeguarding lives.

Starting in March 2025, monthly meetings were reportedly arranged by the U.S. State Department. These meetings involved sharing sensitive information about detained Iranian immigrants who sought deportation. Lawyers for the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund and Public Citizen Litigation Group claimed that asylum application details were disclosed, including those from individuals persecuted for converting to Christianity, their sexual orientation, or participating in 2022 protests against the Iranian government.

The lawsuit argues that detainees were coerced into meetings with an Iranian official who was well-informed about their cases. This took place even after the U.S.-Israeli strikes commenced an Iran conflict in February 2026. DHS reiterated that ICE follows laws and policies regarding consular access but denied allegations of sharing asylum records.

The lawsuit seeks to immediately stop further information sharing and requests an independent monitor to ensure privacy for asylum seekers. The lawsuit lists the DHS, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, and the Department of State as defendants.

The allegations arise amid former President Donald Trump’s wide-reaching immigration measures, which led to over 600,000 deportations and nearly 1.9 million voluntary departures in 2025. An agreement purportedly allowed for the return of around 400 Iranians. Deportation flights occurred in September, December 2025, and January 2026, coinciding with a severe government crackdown on protests in Iran.