The Christian converts the US is deporting back to Iran

November 22, 2025

The Trump administration has dramatically shifted US asylum policy toward Iranian nationals, conducting unprecedented deportation flights to Iran despite the absence of diplomatic relations and Iran's poor human rights record. Several Iranian Christian converts who fled religious persecution report being deported even after some received asylum protection, with sensitive information about their conversions remaining in files that Iranian authorities can access upon their return. The deportations have separated families and placed returnees at serious risk, as converts face increased arrests and interrogation by Iranian intelligence, which frames Christianity as a national security threat linked to Israel.

Who is affected

Iranian Christian converts seeking asylum in the US, including Majid, Ali and his wife, Marjan, Reza, and Sina
Approximately 150+ deportees on flights to Nicaragua and Iran
Family members separated by deportations, including Majid's wife and 1.5-year-old daughter in Los Angeles
Iran's estimated 800,000 Christian population, particularly converts from Islam
House church practitioners in Iran
Attorney Ali Herischi's clients who were deported
Pastor Ara Torosian and church communities supporting Iranian asylum seekers
Relatives of deportees still living in Iran who face potential retaliation

What action is being taken

US immigration authorities are conducting deportation flights to Iran, including a chartered flight via Qatar
ICE officers are detaining Iranian asylum seekers in the US
Iranian intelligence is contacting, summoning, and questioning deportees upon their return
Deportees are being questioned about their religious activities and time in the US
Ali's wife is being actively pursued by Iranian intelligence
Majid is hiding in Istanbul
Lawyers are following up on cases of deported individuals
Iranian authorities are arresting and interrogating Christian converts at increased rates

Why it matters

This represents a significant departure from decades of US policy given the lack of diplomatic relations with Iran and concerns about the country's human rights record. The situation highlights critical issues in how the US immigration system assesses credible threats of religious persecution, particularly as arrests of Christian converts in Iran increased sixfold between 2023 and 2024. The apparent failure to redact sensitive religious information from deportation files places returnees at direct risk of persecution, imprisonment, or worse. The inconsistencies create a troubling contradiction with President Trump's public statements about protecting persecuted Christians abroad, while his administration simultaneously deports Christian converts to countries where they face documented persecution. The cases demonstrate how asylum outcomes can vary dramatically even within single families, raising questions about fairness and consistency in the adjudication process.

What's next

Ali is awaiting an immigration hearing and considers returning to Iran if his wife is arrested and demands he come back. Majid's lawyer is following up on his case while he remains in hiding in Istanbul. Majid's wife's asylum case is still pending in Los Angeles. Ali's wife has received another summons from Iranian intelligence.

Read full article from source: BBC