US expected to deport dozens of Iranians as Trump threatens regime over crackdown
By Jennifer Hansler, CNN
(CNN) — The Trump administration is expected to deport dozens of Iranians back to their home country as soon as this Sunday, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
It would be the first known deportation flight to Iran from the United States since sweeping anti-government protests broke out in the country in recent weeks and President Donald Trump threatened the regime for its brutal crackdown on the uprisings. It would also be the third under Trump
There are major concerns about the fate of the dozens of Iranians on board the prospective deportation flight, which was first reported by MS NOW.
CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the White House for comment.
Two of the Iranians who have been informed they will be on the upcoming flight are partners and face “an extremely high chance” of being executed for being gay if they are forced to return, their lawyer, Bekah Wolf, told CNN.
“If they were to be sent back right now, they’re facing death sentences by hanging,” said Wolf, a lawyer with the American Immigration Council.
“When they fled in 2021, they had been arrested by ‘morality police’ for being gay and were being prosecuted for it and for conduct that is punishable by death,” she said Friday.
She said they have pleaded with her to save their lives.
One of those individuals spoke to CNN in December about his fear of being forced to return to Iran.
“I suffered a lot in country for what I am,” he said, telling CNN he was tortured and raped in Iran. He did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation.
He came to the US “just to have a normal life like everyone else,” he told CNN at the time.
“Definitely, my life is at risk if I return to my country,” he said.
He was detained after crossing the border in the waning days of the Biden administration, after traveling months and being robbed and beaten en route to the US. He said he has suffered abuse and discrimination while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.
The man had initially been slated to be on the second deportation flight to Iran in December. He was ultimately kept off it amid a pending appeal of his asylum case, which was denied by the Trump administration. His case is still pending.
According to Wolf, the man’s partner is “in terrible medical condition” and has experienced “very intensive medical neglect” in the ICE facility where he has been detained.
The expected flight comes as Trump has said that his administration will talk with Iran. Still, the US president has not taken the prospect of military action against Iran off the table.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday.
“I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” he said.
Wolf noted that “to go out of their way to negotiate with Iran to accept another deportation flight, which is what has to occur in order for this flight to happen, really sort of demonstrates the hypocrisy of our immigration policy.”
“We’re saying, on the one hand, that we will support the protesters against this horrific regime, and at the same time we’re making a deal with that same regime to deport people who have fled to seek asylum,” she said.
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