US deported over 200 people to Iran ahead of war, thousands to danger zones
May 29, 2026 · Iran

The Marshall Project found the U.S. deported more than 200 people to Iran during the 13 months before launching a war on the country, including 18 people deported around late January just days before American and Israeli bombs began falling. The analysis found the U.S. government deported more than 21,000 people overall to countries the State Department deemed too dangerous for Americans to visit, including Ukraine, Haiti, and Myanmar, with the overwhelming majority having no criminal convictions and at least 600 being children. ICE did not respond to questions about how it decides to deport people to countries deemed unsafe. Law professor Susan Akram called the deportations 'immoral and totally inhumane' and said they violate U.S. and international law barring the return of asylum seekers to countries where their life or freedom is threatened.
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