Generic gavel and book, a stock photo, not the court case described in this report. Photo: Sasun Bughdaryan / Unsplash.
Newly unsealed court documents in Washington on Thursday, November 5, show that President Donald Trump’s administration maintained contacts with Iranian officials about deporting Iranians during the war, according to The Associated Press.
The documents describe a plan discussed as recently as mid-October to send Iranians through an unnamed third country, AP reported in its full report published by KBTX. The intended timing was unclear. The reporting does not establish that a deportation flight departed Thursday or that the mid-October plan was carried out.
Two separate notice requirements
Judge Ana Reyes ordered the government to give the court 24-hour notice of any finalized plans to deport Iranians to Iran or another country, and to give five days’ written notice before any such deportation is carried out, according to AP.
The order therefore includes both notice to the court about finalized plans and a separate five-day written-notice requirement before a deportation. It should not be read as allowing a removal with only a 24-hour warning.
Contacts during the war
The newly unsealed material shows contacts with Iranian officials concerning travel documents and “possible avenues for removal,” AP reported. Those contacts continued while the countries were at war, according to the documents described in its report.
In an October 15 hearing transcript, Reyes challenged the government about the danger of returning people to the region. Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel responded: “The government is executing lawful orders of removal,” AP reported.
The hearing exchange sets out the dispute between the judge’s concerns about the risks facing deportees and the government’s position that it is enforcing lawful removal orders. It does not resolve the allegations in the underlying lawsuit.
Asylum-information allegations remain disputed
The lawsuit alleges that U.S. immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with Iran, violating immigration regulations and putting people at risk. Those are allegations made in court filings, not findings established by the report.
The Department of Homeland Security has denied sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government. DHS had no immediate comment on the newly disclosed documents, AP reported.
Earlier flights are a separate timeline
Emails described by AP show U.S. and Iranian officials arranging the return of more than 100 Iranians on three immigration flights in September and December 2025 and January 2026. That is a count associated with those earlier flights, not a total for deportations during the war.
The new development is the disclosure of continued contacts and the mid-October third-country plan, together with the court’s notice requirements. The destination country and intended departure timing for that plan were not identified in the report.
JBizNews Desk | Washington
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
