Trump administration deports Iranians for first time since brutal crackdown on protests

Activists take part in a rally supporting protesters in Iran at Lafayette Park, across from the White House, in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026.

The Trump administration sent about a dozen Iranians back on a deportation flight Sunday, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

It was the first known deportation flight since sweeping anti-government protests broke out in Iran, in which thousands have been killed. President Donald Trump has threatened retaliation against Iran if it executes protesters, and although he has claimed his government with talk with Tehran, he has not taken the threat of military action off the table.

According to one source, 14 Iranians were on board the flight that left Sunday.

CNN reported Friday that dozens of Iranians were expected to be deported as soon as Sunday. However, it appears a number of Iranians who were told that they would be on the flight were not on it because of measles exposure.

A White House official stated that “while the administration does not typically comment on specific flights to protect operational security, any individuals being deported would have Executable Final Orders meaning a federal judge has ordered their removal from the United States. The Administration remains committed to using all lawful options to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens in history.”

CNN has reached out to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the Iranian Mission to the UN for comment.

Bekah Wolf, the lawyer for two Iranians who had been told they would be on board the flight, said her clients had been put into quarantine because of the highly infectious virus and were not on Sunday’s flight.

However, it is only a temporary reprieve for the two men, who are gay and face “an extremely high chance” of being executed if they are forced to return to Iran, Wolf told CNN on Friday.

Both Wolf and the other source said there are likely to be future deportation flights to Iran. Sunday’s was the third flight after a rare agreement between Washington and Tehran, which do not have diplomatic relations.

One of the men, who spoke to CNN on Friday, said his message for the US president was: “If you care about the people, please let us stay.”

“We are not bad human beings. We love this country. If we could live in this country, we will love it more than we love our homelands because our homeland is captured. It’s ruined. It’s destroyed by the government of Iran,” he said.

“We came to this country for safety,” he added. He asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation.

There are concerns about the deportation of the Iranians amid the ongoing regime crackdown. The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) reported Sunday that at least 5,520 protesters have been killed since anti-government demonstrations began in late December, including 77 minors, with an additional 17,091 fatalities under review. HRANA said 41,283 people have been arrested.

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN