U.S. Cancels Deportation Flight of 11 Iranian Nationals
The U.S. government canceled a deportation flight of 11 Iranian nationals after the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund alleged the operation violated a federal court order.
A U.S. deportation flight carrying at least eight Iranian nationals was abruptly canceled Sunday morning in Mesa, Arizona. The operation, managed by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, intended to transport 10 men and one woman from Arizona to Iran via refueling stops in Georgia and Islamabad, Pakistan.
The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund filed an emergency motion in a Washington, D.C. federal court, alleging the government violated an October 15 order from U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes. The order required the government to provide five business days' written notice before removals; the legal challenge claims the government provided only three.
The broader legal conflict stems from a July lawsuit alleging that U.S. officials improperly shared confidential asylum seeker information with Iranian authorities. The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund argues that returning individuals to Iran during the ongoing U.S.-Iran war could expose them to persecution, torture, or death.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on the specific flight but stated the Trump administration is employing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history. It remains unconfirmed exactly how many of the 11 planned deportees were on the canceled aircraft.
