Lawsuit Says U.S. Shared Iranian Asylum Files With Tehran Since 2025
A lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., says the U.S. has shared Iranian asylum and deportation-relief files with the government of Iran since March 2025, risking applicants' safety.[1]
The complaint says Immigration and Customs Enforcement provided asylum applications and immigration files during monthly meetings with the Iranian Interests Section, and that document sharing continued after U.S. strikes on Iran in February 2026.[1] Public Citizen Litigation Group is representing the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund and plans to seek a preliminary injunction and personal notice to people whose information was allegedly shared.[1] Federal rules require the Department of Homeland Security, immigration courts and the State Department to keep asylum records confidential, especially from governments that applicants say they fear.[1]
In January 2025, President Trump issued an executive order suspending most U.S. Refugee Admissions Program entries. The administration later resumed deportations of Iranian nationals to Iran. In November 2025, the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed Freedom of Information Act requests seeking records on deportation flights and U.S. coordination with Iranian authorities.
The complaint asks a judge to block further sharing and to require that the government give personal notice to people whose files were allegedly disclosed.[1]
The mainstream summary does not mention that, as of December 2025, over 570 Iranian nationals were detained in ICE facilities across the United States, highlighting the scale of the issue at hand and the potential impact of the alleged information sharing on these individuals' safety. This statistic underscores the urgency of the lawsuit and the broader implications of U.S. immigration policies toward Iranian nationals, which the mainstream coverage downplays by focusing primarily on the legal proceedings rather than the human consequences involved.
Furthermore, while the summary notes the executive order by President Trump that suspended most refugee admissions, it fails to address the context of stricter U.S. immigration enforcement and deportation policies that have been directed at nationals from adversarial countries like Iran. The Trump administration's December 2025 proclamation aimed at limiting foreign national entry appears to have facilitated increased deportations and coordination with Iranian authorities, a structural explanation that adds depth to the understanding of the motivations behind the alleged sharing of sensitive asylum information.[2][3]
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📊 Relevant Data
As of December 21, 2025, more than 570 Iranian nationals were held in ICE detention facilities across the United States.
ICE Detentions of Iranian Nationals: Community Tracker — National Iranian American Council
📌 Key Facts
- A lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., alleges the U.S. government has shared Iranian asylum and deportation-relief files with the government of Iran since March 2025.
- The complaint says ICE provided applications and immigration files during monthly meetings with the Iranian Interests Section and that document sharing continued after U.S. attacks on Iran in February 2026.
- Public Citizen Litigation Group represents the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund and plans to seek a preliminary injunction and personal notice to those whose information was allegedly shared.
- Federal regulations require DHS, immigration courts and State to maintain confidentiality of asylum records, particularly from the governments that applicants fear.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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