Are the Doors to U.S. Immigration Permanently Closed for Iranians?

According to the political news service of Saed News, recent reports about the intensification of Trump’s anti-immigration policies and mass deportations have sparked significant concern both among immigrants already in the U.S. and those planning to migrate there.

CNN: Trump to Deport Iranians Today
On Sunday, CNN cited a knowledgeable source reporting that the Trump administration had decided to deport Iranians from the United States. The source told CNN that dozens of Iranians were expected to be sent back to their home country that day.

According to CNN, this marked the second flight returning Iranians from the U.S. to Iran following a rare agreement between Tehran and Washington. These actions come amid heightened pressure by the Trump administration to expel undocumented immigrants.

New York Times: 50 Iranians Sent Back to Iran
Following CNN’s report on Sunday, the New York Times confirmed on Monday, citing informed sources, that 50 Iranians had been deported.

The newspaper reported that the flight, which departed from Arizona on Sunday local time, carried 50 Iranian immigrants along with several other deportees. The deportations were carried out under an agreement reached between the Trump administration and the Iranian government two months earlier.

Green Card and Citizenship Applications Halted for 19 Countries
The deportation of these Iranians was not the only immigration-related development in recent days. Last week, U.S. media outlets reported that processing of green card and citizenship applications had been halted for citizens of 19 countries.

In this context, NPR reported on December 3 (December 13 in the Iranian calendar) that following the killing of two National Guard members by an Afghan national, the Department of Homeland Security was implementing stricter measures to make immigration applications more difficult. Accordingly, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced last Tuesday that it would suspend review of all applications for green cards, citizenship, or asylum from immigrants from 19 countries previously listed under the travel ban, including Iran.

Green Card Eligibility Under Review
This announcement comes amid broader U.S. media reports dating back to October that criteria for obtaining green cards for skilled foreign professionals were being reviewed.

Business Standard, citing Forbes on October 15 (Mehr 23), reported that the Department of Homeland Security is drafting a new law to redefine the conditions under which skilled foreign professionals can obtain U.S. permanent residency through green cards.

The new legislation, expected to be released by January 2026, will revise the classification of individuals with extraordinary abilities in addition to the categorization of prominent professors and researchers.