Two gay Iranian men detained by U.S. immigration authorities face possible deportation to Iran, where they could be executed under laws targeting same-sex relations, according to the American Immigration Council. Ali and Adel, names used to protect their identities, entered the U.S. in January 2025 after fleeing Iran via Turkey and multiple Latin American countries. Rebekah Wolf, director of the Immigration Justice Campaign at the American Immigration Council, said the men were charged in Iran with a crime punishable by hanging. They initially sought refuge in Turkey but could not apply for permanent asylum there, and faced heightened barriers resettling in other countries due to their Iranian nationality and sexual orientation.
The couple was detained upon arrival at the southern U.S. border and has since remained in immigration custody. Wolf described their detention conditions as poor, with reports of verbal abuse and outing by guards, behaviors she said reflect a shift from prior administrations. Adel sustained injuries during an attack in Mexico before crossing into the U.S., leaving him reliant on a wheelchair—wounds that have not received adequate medical care. Neither man had legal representation during initial immigration hearings, contributing to the rejection of their asylum applications, decisions now under appeal. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed both individuals received final orders of removal about one year ago.
Wolf stated Ali and Adel were nearly deported to Iran three times before the U.S.-Israeli military actions against Iran began in 2026. They were moved to staging facilities and prepared for removal, only to have the process halted at the last moment. With the war ongoing, there is no official assurance they won't be deported if their appeals fail. Wolf warned that in conflict zones like Iran, any perceived link to Western nations can trigger state violence. Department of Homeland Security officials maintained the men's claims were reviewed and dismissed by a judge.
When Rebekah Wolf says Ali and Adel's case is the clearest example of why the U.S. asylum system exists, she is stating what should be obvious: these men are not economic migrants but survivors of a regime the U.S. itself opposes. That they were moved to deportation staging three times before the war—and remain in legal limbo despite a final removal order—reveals a system willing to risk sending people to their deaths over procedural neglect. If the U.S. considers Iran a hostile state, then returning dissidents to face execution contradicts its own foreign policy. The real question isn't whether they qualify for protection—it's why the system is designed to make them beg for it at every step.
