Allegations Emerge Over U.S. Sharing Iranian Asylum Seekers’ Information with Iran
In a startling turn of events, a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., accuses the Trump administration of handing over sensitive information about Iranian asylum seekers to the Iranian government. The complaint, filed by the Public Citizen Litigation Group, claims that such actions began in March 2025.
According to the lawsuit, U.S. officials have allegedly been sharing asylum application details with Iran, either by mail or in person. Such information sharing, as stated by Michael Kirkpatrick, an attorney with Public Citizen, directly contravenes laws that protect asylum seekers fleeing their home governments. Kirkpatrick, representing the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, emphasized, “The law is very clear that information within an asylum application or other applications for similar forms of protection cannot be shared, particularly with the government that the individual is fleeing.”
Kirkpatrick further elaborated on the potential dangers, noting, “That information could put them in grave risk upon return. They could be detained. They could be interrogated. They could be sent to prison. They could be tortured. As well as the risk to their family and acquaintances who remain in Iran.”
Controversy Surrounding Meetings and Data Sharing
The lawsuit contends that during monthly meetings between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Iranian Interests Section, asylum and deportation relief applications were shared. Although these meetings reportedly ceased after a U.S. attack on Iran in February, document sharing is said to have continued.
The Trump administration, as per the lawsuit, increased deportations to Iran before the onset of the U.S.-Iran conflict. It is alleged that Iranian detainees have been called into meetings where officials already had access to their asylum claims. This is based on testimony from detainees and a confidential source within the Iranian government, though NPR has not independently verified the latter.
To halt this information exchange, Kirkpatrick mentioned plans to seek a preliminary injunction. The aim is to temporarily stop sharing and notify those affected by the disclosures.
Responses and Regulatory Context
Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Iranian Mission to the United Nations have not commented on the allegations. Federal regulations mandate that asylum application records be protected from unauthorized disclosure, requiring confidentiality even when shared with state offices abroad. The lawsuit claims that hundreds of Iranian detainees’ information, including personal details and political opinions, has been unlawfully shared.
While some level of information exchange between governments for facilitating returns is standard, Kirkpatrick argues that the U.S. administration’s actions differ significantly. He stated, “What’s different here, though, is they are revealing information from the asylum applications, and that is a very specific category of information that is kept confidential.”
The Trump administration allegedly deported over 100 people to Iran and sent others to third countries like Panama and the Central African Republic. For more on this issue, visit the Associated Press.
