An advocacy organization for Iranian Americans filed suit this week challenging the Trump Administration's treatment of Iranians-- including members of minority religious groups-- who are seeking asylum in the United States. The complaint alleges that ICE provides information to Iran about detainees it wishes to deport in order to obtain Iran's agreement to accept their return. The complaint (full text) in Iranian American Legal Defense Fund v. Rubio, (D DC, filed 7/7/2026), alleges in part:
1. In furtherance of its mass deportation agenda, in March of 2025, the Trump administration adopted a policy of providing the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iranian Government) with confidential information from the immigration files of Iranians seeking asylum in the United States. Many of the asylum seekers are pro-democracy protestors, members of religious minorities such as Evangelical Christians, or members of the LGBTQ community who seek refuge in the United States because of the grave dangers they face in Iran. Disclosing their confidential information to the Iranian Government violates the asylum seekers’ confidentiality rights, endangers their family members and acquaintances who may still be residing in Iran, and puts those who are subject to removal to Iran, directly or through chain refoulement via third countries, at risk of persecution, torture, and death following their arrival in Iran.
2. The new policy has continued notwithstanding the June 2025 military strikes by the United States, the massacre of tens of thousands of Iranian protestors by the Iranian Government in January 2026, and the war launched by the United States on February 28, 2026.
3. Plaintiff brings this action under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requesting that the Court declare the policy unlawful and order that it be vacated. Plaintiff further requests that the Court order that those whose information was unlawfully shared with the Iranian Government be provided notice of the breach so that they can move to reopen their immigration cases to determine whether they are entitled to asylum or other relief based on the violation of their confidentiality rights....
Public Citizen issued a press release announcing the filing of the lawsuit.
