Trump administration’s deportation dealings with Tehran continued despite US-Iran conflict
In an October 15 hearing, US District Judge Ana Reyes questioned the government’s decision to pursue deportations to a country that the US President had described as an enemy. The judge subsequently directed the government to provide the court with 24-hour notice of any finalised plans to deport Iranians to Iran or another country. US’ Donald Trump administration held secret talks with Iranian officials over the deportation of Iranian nationals even as the war between the United States and Iran continued, newly unsealed court documents have revealed.
A country that is an enemy of the United States, according to the current president. A country that, according to our president, murdered tens of thousands of protestors,” Reyes said, according to the hearing transcript quoted by AP. The judge further questioned the risks faced by Iranian nationals if they were returned to the country. Responding to the judge, Justice Department attorney Dimitar Georgiev-Remmel defended the administration’s position. The administration was also ordered to give five days’ written notice before carrying out any such deportation. The revelations have emerged from an ongoing lawsuit alleging that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, potentially exposing them to persecution. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has denied sharing asylum application records with Tehran.
“We are at war with a country where the President of the United States has said, as recently as two or three days ago, if not yesterday, that it is essentially lawless…