Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians
Unsealed court documents show the administration planned deportations during an ongoing war.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made
Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians
Photograph: Washington Top News (embedded from source)
What this story says
- The Trump administration held secret discussions with Iran regarding the deportation of Iranian nationals.
- These talks occurred while a war was ongoing in Iran, according to unsealed court documents.
- The administration had plans in place by mid-October to deport Iranians via an unnamed third country.
- A lawsuit alleges that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 23 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. Coverage measured .
Trust
42/100
Craft
59/100
Hype
20/100
23 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
None of the 23 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
Unsealed court documents indicate that the Trump administration engaged in secret discussions with Iran concerning the deportation of Iranian citizens. These talks took place even as a war was active in Iran. As of mid-October, the administration had developed plans to deport Iranians through an unspecified third country, though the timing remained unclear. A judge ordered the government to provide 24-hour notice before any deportations to Iran or other countries, and five days' written notice before such actions are carried out.
The court documents emerged from a lawsuit alleging that the Trump administration's immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. This alleged sharing violated national immigration regulations and endangered individuals, according to court filings. Hundreds of emails suggest cooperation between the US and Iran to deport over 100 Iranians on three flights in September, December 2025, and January 2026. Deportations of Iranians to their home country are historically rare due to a lack of diplomatic relations and the potential for persecution.
Disagreement on information sharing
The lawsuit claims the Trump administration's immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. Washington Top News reported that the Department of Homeland Security denied sharing asylum application records with the Iranian government.
What the coverage left out
No right-rated reports mentioned the lawsuit's specific allegation that hundreds of emails indicated cooperation on deporting over 100 Iranians on three flights in September, December 2025, and January 2026. The digests from left and centre-rated outlets did not detail the specific number of flights or the dates mentioned in the court documents.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 2 times, most recently on 5 Nov 2026, 18:30, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
13 rated outlets
- Left-rated reports led with the revelation that the Trump administration held secret talks with Iran about deporting Iranians during the ongoing war. These reports highlighted that court documents unsealed on Thursday showed the administration had plans as of mid-October to deport Iranians through a third country. The digests also noted the ongoing lawsuit alleging that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. Several left-rated outlets, including The Daily Item, Orlando Sentinel, The Record, Coast Reporter, SooToday.com, Prince George Citizen, Elora Fergus Today, Sudbury, Bay Today, Guelph Today, The NOTL Local, StratfordToday.ca, thealbertan.com, and Associated Press News, carried digests of the Associated Press report.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on the unsealed court documents revealing secret talks between the Trump administration and Iran regarding the deportation of Iranians during the war. These reports stated that the administration had plans by mid-October to deport Iranians through an unnamed third country. The digests also mentioned the lawsuit alleging that US immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. Washington Top News, in its full report, included a judge's statement expressing concern about sending individuals back to a country facing conflict and potential persecution, and noted the Justice Department's assertion that the government was executing lawful orders of removal. Other centre-rated outlets included Battlefords NOW, meadowlakeNOW, Pioneer Press, Sun-Sentinel, Audacy, Newsday, and WPLG, all carrying digests.
Right
0 rated outlets
No outlet rated right has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians?
- Of the 23 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 56% are rated left, 44% are rated centre, 0% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 23 rated outlets on this story, 56% are rated left, 44% are rated centre, 0% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians biased?
- Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians is one event reported by 23 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered Trump administration held secret talks with Iran on deporting Iranians?
- 23 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What did the Trump administration discuss with Iran?
- Court documents show the Trump administration held secret talks with Iran about deporting Iranian nationals. These discussions occurred while a war was ongoing in Iran, and the administration had plans to deport individuals through a third country.
- What is the lawsuit alleging?
- A lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration's immigration agencies shared confidential information about Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government. This alleged sharing is said to have violated regulations and endangered individuals.
- How many Iranians were involved in the deportation plans?
- Hundreds of emails suggest cooperation between the US and Iran to deport over 100 Iranians. These deportations were reportedly planned on three separate flights in September, December 2025, and January 2026.
Read it at the source
23 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
13- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens The Daily Item in a new tab)
The Daily Item — is The Daily Item biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Orlando Sentinel in a new tab)
Orlando Sentinel — is Orlando Sentinel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens thealbertan.com in a new tab)
thealbertan.com — is thealbertan.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens StratfordToday.ca in a new tab)
StratfordToday.ca — is StratfordToday.ca biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens The NOTL Local in a new tab)
The NOTL Local — is The NOTL Local biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Guelph Today in a new tab)
Guelph Today — is Guelph Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Bay Today in a new tab)
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Sudbury in a new tab)
Show 5 more
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Elora Fergus Today in a new tab)
Elora Fergus Today — is Elora Fergus Today biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Prince George Citizen in a new tab)
Prince George Citizen — is Prince George Citizen biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens SooToday.com in a new tab)
SooToday.com — is SooToday.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Coast Reporter in a new tab)
Coast Reporter — is Coast Reporter biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
10- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens meadowlakeNOW in a new tab)
meadowlakeNOW — is meadowlakeNOW biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Battlefords NOW in a new tab)
Battlefords NOW — is Battlefords NOW biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show – WTOP News (opens Washington Top News in a new tab)
Washington Top News — is Washington Top News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Sun-Sentinel in a new tab)
Sun-Sentinel — is Sun-Sentinel biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Pioneer Press in a new tab)
Pioneer Press — is Pioneer Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Audacy in a new tab)
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Newsday in a new tab)
Show 2 more
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens WPLG in a new tab)
- Trump administration held talks with Iran on deporting Iranians during the war, court documents show (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
Not rated
0No outlet in this group ran the story.
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