Washington — Court documents unsealed on Thursday have exposed an extraordinary wartime arrangement: even as American and Iranian forces fought a war in its ninth month, President Donald Trump's administration was holding secret talks with Tehran about deporting Iranians back to Iran — and, as recently as mid-October, officials told a federal judge they still planned to send Iranians home through an unnamed third country.

The filings, obtained by the Associated Press, show officials coordinating travel documents and working out "possible avenues for removal" for Iranians in US immigration detention. The judge warned returnees could face "a serious threat of certain death."

Key Points

• Court documents unsealed on Thursday show the Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the US-Iran war.
• As recently as mid-October, officials said they planned to deport Iranians through an unnamed third country, with no date given.
• Judge Ana Reyes ordered 24 hours' notice of any finalised deportation plan and five days' written notice before any removal.
• Hundreds of emails show the two sides arranged more than 100 Iranians flown back to Iran on three flights in late 2025 and January 2026.
• At least a dozen Iranian detainees were told in the past week they could be deported as soon as Sunday, after contact from Iran's Interest Section in Washington.

What Happened

The Associated Press reported on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that court documents unsealed that day show the Trump administration held secret talks with Iran about deporting Iranians even as the US-Iran war dragged on. The documents describe contacts with Iranian officials during the war over travel documents and what the filings call "possible avenues for removal."

The disclosure came in a case brought by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The case is before US District Judge Ana Reyes, who ordered the government to give the court 24 hours' notice of any finalised plan to deport Iranians to Iran or any other country, and five days' written notice before any deportation is carried out.

Background and Context

The war is now in its ninth month, having begun on February 28, 2026, and the secret contacts sit uneasily beside the administration's public posture toward Tehran. President Trump has repeatedly described Iran's government in the harshest terms, and on Thursday he warned he may have to "destroy the rest" of the country as a decision on widening the war nears. Yet behind the scenes, officials were dealing with that same government to arrange the return of its own nationals.

It is the latest turn in a deportation drive facing courtroom challenges and congressional opposition: the administration has also planned to deport more than 150 Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan via Pakistan, and a federal judge in New York has barred Afghan deportation flights through November 7. Iranian consular business in Washington is handled by the Iranian Interest Section at the Pakistani Embassy, which contacted detainees last week about an upcoming flight via Pakistan.

Secret Talks on Iran Deportations

At the heart of the case are hundreds of emails showing the two sides working together to arrange the return of more than 100 Iranians flown back to Iran on three immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. The flights predate the war, but the contacts continued into it.

The legal group depicts the arrangement as a coordinated campaign to identify Iranians in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and pressure them to return — and alleges US agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Tehran, which could identify them and their families to the authorities they escaped. At least a dozen Iranian detainees have been told in the past week they are being deported to Iran, some as soon as Sunday.

Reactions and Quotes

Judge Reyes did not hide her alarm when the case was argued on October 15. "We are at war with a country where the President of the United States has said... it is essentially lawless... A country that, according to our president, murdered tens of thousands of protesters," she said, before asking how the United States could send people back to a place where they face "a serious threat of certain death."

Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel defended the removals, telling the judge: "The government is executing lawful orders of removal." The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to the Associated Press report.

Why It Matters

The disclosures matter for three reasons. First, they show the administration negotiating with an enemy government about the fate of people who fled it, raising questions about whether asylum seekers can be safely returned to a country the United States is at war with. Second, they reveal a removal system operating in secrecy, with detainees learning of their fate from a foreign government's office rather than from American officials. Third, they come as the wider deportation programme faces mounting legal and political resistance. For the detainees, the stakes are immediate: a dozen people may be on a plane within days, and the judge's notice requirements are, for now, the only thing standing between them and that flight.

What Happens Next

Under Judge Reyes's order, the government must give the court a day's notice of any finalised deportation plan and five days' written notice before any Iranian is actually removed. That gives lawyers a window to challenge individual cases, but the administration has not withdrawn its plans, and the flight via Pakistan could still go ahead once the notice periods run out. The government must still answer the allegation that it shared asylum seekers' confidential information with Tehran — and the next test will come as soon as Sunday.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the court documents reveal?

They show secret Trump administration talks with Iran about deporting Iranians during the war, including contacts over travel documents and "possible avenues for removal," with removals through an unnamed third country still planned as recently as mid-October.

How many Iranians have already been sent back?

More than 100 Iranians were flown back to Iran on three immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026, according to hundreds of emails in the court filings.

What did Judge Ana Reyes order?

The government must give the court 24 hours' notice of any finalised plan to deport Iranians to Iran or any other country, and five days' written notice before any deportation is carried out.

What happens to the detainees notified this week?

At least a dozen were told in the past week they are being deported to Iran, some as soon as Sunday, after contact from the Iranian Interest Section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington about a flight via Pakistan.

Is the government allowed to deport people to Iran during a war?

The administration says it is "executing lawful orders of removal," but a court is weighing claims that confidential asylum information was shared with Tehran and that returnees face grave danger.

Read more: Trump plans to deport 150 Afghans back to Taliban rule; 66 lawmakers urge Trump to cancel Afghan deportation flights via Pakistan; Judge blocks Afghan deportation flight to Pakistan, bars removals until Nov 7.