In a significant and controversial development, the Trump administration has commenced the deportation of around 100 Iranian nationals from the United States back to Iran. This action follows a clandestine agreement between the two nations, as confirmed by two senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations and a U.S. official familiar with the plans. The U.S.-chartered flight departed Louisiana on Monday night, with an anticipated arrival in Iran via Qatar as early as Tuesday. All sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions.
The specific identities of those deported, along with their reasons for seeking immigration to the United States, remain undisclosed.
This mass deportation marks one of the most assertive steps taken by the Trump administration to repatriate migrants, irrespective of the human rights conditions prevalent in the receiving countries. This escalating deportation campaign has already drawn widespread condemnation and legal challenges from immigrant rights advocates.
For many years, the United States traditionally offered sanctuary to Iranians fleeing their homeland, a country widely recognized for its severe human rights abuses. Iran is known to persecute a range of individuals, including women’s rights activists, political dissidents, journalists, lawyers, religious minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Recent years have seen a notable increase in Iranian migrants arriving at the U.S. southern border, many of whom claim a legitimate fear of persecution based on their political or religious beliefs upon returning home.
According to Hossein Noushabadi, the director general of parliamentary affairs in Iran’s foreign ministry, U.S. immigration authorities intend to deport a total of 400 Iranians back to Iran over the coming months. He stated on Tuesday that, “In the first phase, they decided to deport 120 Iranians who entered the U.S. illegally, mostly through Mexico,” during an interview with Tasnim News Agency, an outlet associated with Iran’s powerful Republican Guards force.
Noushabadi also noted that some individuals being deported held U.S. residency, emphasizing that all individuals in question had initially left Iran through legal channels.
Historically, the United States has faced challenges or shown reluctance in deporting migrants to certain countries, such as Iran, primarily due to the absence of formal diplomatic ties and difficulties in obtaining timely travel documents. This often resulted in migrants being held in prolonged detention or released into the U.S.
However, 2024 saw a significant shift, with over two dozen Iranians deported to the country, marking the highest number in years. The two Iranian officials who spoke to The Times confirmed that the recent group of deportees included both men and women, some traveling as couples. They revealed that some had voluntarily agreed to leave after months in detention centers, while others had not.
Officials further stated that in almost all cases, asylum requests had either been denied or individuals had not yet received a hearing before a judge.
This deportation represents a rare instance of cooperation between the United States and the Iranian government, reportedly the result of several months of negotiations between the two nations.
One official disclosed that Iran’s foreign ministry is facilitating the return of the deportees and has provided assurances of their safety, guaranteeing they will not face repercussions. Despite these assurances, many deportees expressed profound disappointment and even fear regarding their return. Mr. Noushabadi reiterated to Tasnim that, “Iran will certainly welcome migrants who, for any reason, had previously emigrated to the United States.”
Beyond political oppression, Iran is currently grappling with severe economic and energy crises, characterized by a plummeting currency, soaring inflation, widespread unemployment, and critical water and power shortages. The economic forecast is expected to worsen with the recent re-imposition of United Nations Security Council sanctions, which took effect last Saturday.
Sanam Mahoozi also contributed to this report.