U.S. to Deport Hundreds of Iranians Under Immigration Crackdown, Tehran Official Says

Reuters

U.S. & Iranian flags.

The United States plans to deport approximately 400 Iranians, most of whom entered the country illegally, as part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, according to a senior Iranian official.

Hossein Noushabadi, Iran’s foreign ministry director general for parliament affairs, told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the first group of 120 deportees, many of whom crossed into the U.S. via Mexico, is expected to arrive in Iran within one or two days. Some of the returnees had volunteered after months in detention, while others were included through U.S. immigration decisions, with consent obtained where possible.

The move, an unusual instance of cooperation between Tehran and Washington, follows months of talks, with a U.S.-chartered flight reportedly departing from Louisiana on Monday, bound for Iran via Qatar.

Noushabadi urged the U.S. to respect the rights of Iranian migrants, noting that some returnees had held residence permits but were nevertheless included in the deportation list.

The deportations form part of the Trump Administration's broader effort to increase removals of undocumented migrants, following criticism of high illegal border crossings under the previous administration. In February, the U.S. deported 119 individuals, including Iranians, to Panama under a similar bilateral arrangement.

The White House and U.S. State Department had not immediately responded to requests for comment.

Source: Reuters



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