Full Breakdown
Lawsuit Accuses U.S. Immigration Authorities of Sharing Iranian Asylum Seekers’ Data with Tehran
7/21/2026, 4:26:02 AM
Alleged Information-Sharing Program
The complaint filed in the Federal District Court in Washington, D.C. asserts that, beginning in March 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) transmitted personal details of Iranian asylum seekers to Iranian officials. According to the suit, the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. received lists containing names, claim specifics and other sensitive information. The filing alleges that the data exchange facilitated “mass deportation flights” to Iran and that Iranian consular representatives were allowed inside ICE detention centers, where they pressured detainees to sign documents agreeing to return.
Legal Action and Named Defendants
The lawsuit, brought by the Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), names ICE, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as defendants. It seeks an immediate halt to any information sharing with Iran, disclosure to current asylum seekers about possible privacy breaches, and an end to the deportations. The complaint notes that the alleged monthly coordination meetings ceased before February 28, 2026, when open hostilities between the United States and Iran escalated.
Official Government Responses
The Department of Homeland Security rejected the allegations, stating, “These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE.” A DHS spokesperson added that ICE follows “established protocols” to allow detainees to contact consular representatives. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Opposition and First-Hand Testimony
Asylum seekers detained in Arizona described encounters with an Iranian official who possessed detailed knowledge of their cases. One declarant, identified only as P.M., wrote, “When I saw him, I felt cold… He looked like the regime guys.” Another detainee, S.O., said the official’s presence was “terrifying.” Several statements claim the official urged sign-offs for return to Iran and threatened deportation to Africa for non-compliance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We have a tradition of trying to be a beacon of hope for those fleeing political persecution and religious persecution, and we betrayed those confidences,” — Cyrus Mehri, immigration attorney, ALDF co-founder
- “When I saw him, I felt cold,” — P.M., handwritten declaration
- “His presence inside a U.S. detention facility was terrifying.” — S.O., sworn statement
- “These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE,” — DHS spokesperson
- “This has to end immediately,” — Cyrus Mehri, ALDF co-founder
