The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund (IALDF) has filed a motion requesting a preliminary injunction to stop the U.S. government from sharing the confidential information of Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. The legal group alleges that such disclosures put individuals at risk of persecution, torture, and death should they be deported back to Iran.
The motion, filed on Wednesday, follows a lawsuit the organization initiated against the Trump administration over similar allegations. According to the initial complaint, many Iranian asylum seekers are pro-democracy activists, members of religious minorities, or part of the LGBTQ community who have sought refuge in the United States. Revealing their sensitive data to the Iranian government, the IALDF argues, could have fatal consequences.
The IALDF's latest filing also seeks to compel the government to take steps to prevent the deportation of any detained individuals whose information has already been shared with Iranian authorities. The group claims that the practice of sharing information began in March 2025, and since late September 2025, at least three deportation flights have returned more than 100 Iranian nationals to Iran.
Supporting these claims, the filing includes 11 declarations from Iranian detainees within the U.S. More than half of these declarations reportedly describe interactions with Iranian officials while the individuals were in U.S. detention. These officials allegedly possessed specific details about the detainees' asylum claims.
Michael Kirkpatrick, an attorney for Public Citizen representing the IALDF, expressed concern over the alleged practice. "It's shocking to think that at the same time the United States is engaged in hostilities with Iran, that the United States is handing over immigration files from ICE to the Iranian Interest Section in Washington, DC," Kirkpatrick stated. He emphasized that these files contain "extremely confidential and sensitive information" that could detail reasons for asylum, such as participation in pro-democracy demonstrations, conversion to minority religions, or membership in the LGBTQ community.
Ali Rahnama, the interim executive director of the IALDF, conveyed the fear experienced by those affected. "They are terrified," Rahnama said, adding that their anxiety extends to family and friends remaining in Iran. He stressed that these are not mere statistics but human beings who placed their trust in the U.S. government and its legal system.
The legal documents also reportedly detail an alleged conversation and meeting between an IALDF board member and a senior official from the Iranian Interest Section in the United States. This official allegedly confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had provided the Iranian government with immigration documents, including asylum applications and related case files, for each detainee.
The IALDF contends that the government's actions, specifically sharing information without the consent of the detained individuals, are unlawful.
In response to similar allegations made after the lawsuit filing, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied sharing information with the Iranian government. In a social media post, DHS stated, "These allegations that ICE shared asylum application records with the Iranian government are FALSE. ICE meets and works to get travel documents for detainees with every country."
The DHS further stated that ICE provides individuals with the opportunity to contact their consular posts and facilitates consular access in accordance with applicable laws and policies. The department affirmed its commitment to using all lawful means to deport individuals deemed to be in the country illegally. A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation or private diplomatic discussions.