A deportation flight carrying Iranian nationals from the United States to Iran via Pakistan was abruptly canceled on Sunday morning. Legal representatives for the detainees confirmed the sudden halt to reporters.
At least eight Iranian detainees were placed aboard an aircraft in Mesa, Arizona. Ali Rahnama, an attorney with the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, stated that the flight was initially routed to Georgia before heading to Pakistan. Rahnama filed emergency motions on behalf of several detainees, and the flight was called off without any official explanation.
Court documents unsealed days earlier in a civil lawsuit revealed that the administration had planned to deport Iranians to Iran through an unnamed third country. The lawsuit, filed in July by the defense fund, alleges that the US government unlawfully shared confidential details regarding asylum seekers with Iranian officials.
Official records show that three removal flights to Iran took place between September 2025 and January 2026, resulting in the deportation of over 100 Iranian nationals. The administration has continued its hard-line immigration enforcement efforts despite an ongoing war that began in February.
The US Department of Homeland Security issued a statement declining to comment on prospective removal operations, flight schedules, or passenger manifests. The agency reiterated that the administration is utilizing all lawful options to execute large-scale deportations.
In the past week, approximately a dozen Iranian detainees in immigration custody received notifications regarding an upcoming removal flight to Pakistan and onward to Iran. Advocacy groups reported that detainees boarded on Sunday had been visited by a senior official from the Iranian Interests Section, located within the Pakistani Embassy in Washington. The official informed them that the Iranian government would arrange their transport from Pakistan into Iran.
US District Judge Ana C. Reyes has not issued a final ruling in the ongoing litigation. She ordered the government to provide the court with 24-hour notice of finalized deportation plans for Iranians, along with five days of written notice prior to any removal.
On Sunday, the defense fund submitted a court filing arguing that the administration may have breached the judge’s directive regarding advance notice. The government submitted a sealed response later that day.
The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund urged an immediate halt to the removals. Executive director Yasmin Chubin stated that forcing asylum seekers back to Iran during active military hostilities could lead to severe harm, including persecution, torture, or death.
Rahnama noted that at least one individual on the canceled flight had volunteered to return to Iran after enduring nearly two years of detention due to desperate conditions. It is unclear how many other detainees may have agreed to leave voluntarily.
