Blumenthal Demands Answers from Trump Administration Officials on Reported Collaboration with Iranian Regime to Return Asylum Seekers

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today pressed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin for answers about the reported collaboration between the Trump Administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the return of asylum seekers back to Iran. In a letter sent today to Rubio and Mullin, Blumenthal demanded records and information about whether the Trump Administration shared details from applications for asylum with Iranian officials.

“Allegedly, your agencies have shared with Iranian officials highly confidential and sensitive details from applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (‘CAT’) relief filed by Iranian nationals. These have included applications from Evangelical Christians, pro-democracy dissidents, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, all of which are groups that are heavily persecuted by the Iranian regime,” Blumenthal wrote.

Blumenthal continued, citing details from a lawsuit filed on behalf of the family members of Iranians who were seeking asylum and protection from torture, “Trump Administration officials allegedly arranged a meeting in March 2025 with the Iranian Interest Section of the Embassy of Pakistan (“Iranian Interest Section”) and provided Iranian officials with a list of 150 names of Iranian nationals the U.S. wished to deport. The Administration subsequently arranged ongoing monthly meetings between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officials and Iranian officials. At these meetings, ICE officials allegedly divulged immigration files and information contained within applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and requested relief under CAT, including basic identifying information and familial relationships, details that would make applicants targets of persecution, including political opinions of pro-democracy advocates and religious beliefs, such as membership in underground Christian churches in Iran.”

Blumenthal continued, “In some cases, ICE went so far as to permit Iranian officials access to ICE detention facilities for in-person meetings with detained Iranian asylum seekers against the will of those individuals. Thus, ICE forced those seeking protection to meet face to face with those they are seeking protection from.”

“As a matter of both law and morality, these disclosures and deportations of Iranian nationals who have made claims for asylum, withholding of removal, or relief under CAT must cease immediately,” Blumenthal concluded.

During this week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be U.S. Attorney General, Blumenthal pressed Blanche on these allegations.

In response to questions from Blumenthal, Blanche denied that is the policy of the U.S. government, saying “we would never send somebody home to be tortured.” Blanche eventually agreed, “if the lawsuit needs to be answered and part of that includes investigation, absolutely.”

The full text of today’s letter is available here and below.

July 17, 2026

The Honorable Marco Rubio

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20520

The Honorable Markwayne Mullin

Secretary of Homeland Security

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

2707 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE

Washington, DC 20528

Dear Secretaries Mullin and Rubio,

A recent lawsuit filed by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund^[1] has revealed distressing accounts of collusion and collaboration between the Trump Administration and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Allegedly, your agencies have shared with Iranian officials highly confidential and sensitive details from applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture (“CAT”) relief filed by Iranian nationals. These have included applications from Evangelical Christians, pro-democracy dissidents, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, all of which are groups that are heavily persecuted by the Iranian regime.^[2] The lawsuit alleges that the Trump Administration has allowed Iranian officials to use such details to hand select individuals for deportation back to Iran.^[3] Since September 2025, public reporting indicates that the Trump Administration has deported at least 115 Iranian nationals back to Iran.^[4]

Trump Administration officials allegedly arranged a meeting in March 2025 with the Iranian Interest Section of the Embassy of Pakistan^[5] (“Iranian Interest Section”) and provided Iranian officials with a list of 150 names of Iranian nationals the U.S. wished to deport. The Administration subsequently arranged ongoing monthly meetings between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officials and Iranian officials. At these meetings, ICE officials allegedly divulged immigration files and information contained within applications for asylum, withholding of removal, and requested relief under CAT, including basic identifying information and familial relationships, details that would make applicants targets of persecution, including political opinions of pro-democracy advocates and religious beliefs, such as membership in underground Christian churches in Iran. In some cases, ICE went so far as to permit Iranian officials access to ICE detention facilities for in-person meetings with detained Iranian asylum seekers against the will of those individuals. Thus, ICE forced those seeking protection to meet face to face with those they are seeking protection from.

Declarations from such Iranian asylum seekers include accountings of physical attacks by Islamic Republic officials during anti-government protests following the death of Mahsa Amini, a woman who was beaten and died in Iranian government custody in 2023.^[6] A Christian convert baptized in Turkey was interrogated and beaten by Iranian intelligence officials for holding church services in his apartment^[7], another Christian convert was sentenced to 80 lashes in 2023 for his conversion.^[8] Yet another was arrested for carrying bibles in her car.^[9] One declaration from a Chrisitan woman details fear of returning to Iran, stating, “If I go back to Iran, I will be imprisoned, and will be tortured to give the names of the people I was in church with, and might be hanged with the charge of apostacy for changing my religion… .”^[10]

In addition to this scheme being wholly at odds with the current aims of official U.S. policy with Iran and an incredibly disgusting breach of trust by U.S. Government officials, such disclosures are also illegal. Federal regulations expressly prohibit the disclosure of information contained within these kinds of protective applications.^[11]

As a matter of both law and morality, these disclosures and deportations of Iranian nationals who have made claims for asylum, withholding of removal, or relief under CAT must cease immediately. Further, please provide the following records by July 31, 2026^[12]:

1. Any and all communications or other records related to exchanges between the State Department or its component agencies and the Iranian Interest Section or other relevant Iranian officials, concerning Iranian nationals held in ICE custody;
2. Any and all communications or other records related to exchanges between the Department of Homeland Security or its component agencies and the Iranian Interest Section or other relevant Iranian officials, concerning Iranian nationals held in ICE custody;
3. The purported legal justification for disclosure of information protected by Title 8, Code of Federal Regulations Section 208.6.

Please contact my office if you have any questions about responding to these requests. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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