US deportation flight for Iranian nationals via Pakistan cancelled, attorney says

A deportation flight carrying Iranian nationals from the United States was called off on Sunday morning, an attorney said. Ali Rahnama said at least eight Iranians were placed on a plane in Mesa, Arizona. The planned route went to Georgia first, then to Pakistan. Rahnama said the cancellation came without any explanation.

Representative image

The stoppage came as lawyers reported fresh notices given to detainees. In the past week, about a dozen Iranian nationals in immigration custody said they were told. The notices said a flight was being arranged to Pakistan first. The final destination was expected to be Iran, several attorneys said.

Iranian nationals deportation flight and DHS response

Asked about the flight on Sunday, the US Department of Homeland Security sent a statement. The statement, from an unnamed spokesperson, said ICE would not discuss removals. It said ICE does not comment on flight schedules or passenger lists. It also said ICE does not confirm destinations or future operations.

The statement also included a broader claim about policy. "As promised, the Trump Administration is employing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history,\" it said. The administration gave no public reason for the cancellation. October court records also did not list exact dates for any deportations.

Iranian nationals deportation flight and court oversight

Court papers unsealed days earlier described plans discussed in mid-October. They said the administration aimed to deport Iranians to Iran. The documents said travel would occur through an unnamed third country. These filings appeared as the war, which began in February, continued.

Earlier removals have already taken place under the same approach. There were three deportation flights to Iran between September 2025 and January 2026. Those flights sent more than 100 Iranian nationals out of the US. Critics have said some destinations could place returnees at risk.

Oversight in the case has added notice rules for the government. US District Judge Ana C Reyes has not ruled on the core accusations. But Judge Reyes ordered 24-hour notice of any finalised deportation plans. Judge Reyes also ordered five days written notice before any deportation happens.

Iranian nationals deportation flight and claims of Iranian contact

Rahnama said the eight people who boarded on Sunday were visited before departure. Rahnama said a senior official from the Iranian Interests Section met them. The office operates within the Pakistan Embassy in Washington. Rahnama said detainees were told Iran would take them from Pakistan to Iran.

The lawsuit was filed in July by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. It alleges the US government unlawfully shared confidential asylum details with Iranian officials. In the litigation, at least a dozen detainees said Iranian officials contacted them. They said the callers knew sensitive information from their asylum claims.

On Sunday, the defence fund filed a court submission about the planned flight. It argued the administration may have broken the judge’s notice order. Later on Sunday, the government filed papers in the case. Those documents were sealed, so the public could not access them.

Iranian nationals deportation flight and fears of persecution

The fund has urged a pause on any removal flights linked to Iran. It said the flights would reportedly be the first since the US-Iran war began. Executive director Yasmin Chubin said it was hard to understand the policy. Chubin warned people could face persecution, torture, or death.

Rahnama also described the pressure detainees faced in custody. Rahnama said at least one person from the cancelled flight agreed to return. The person had spent nearly two years in detention, Rahnama said. Rahnama said the person acted out of desperation to escape what was called inhumane imprisonment.

It remained unclear how many others agreed to leave voluntarily, Rahnama said. The flight’s cancellation left detainees and lawyers without answers about timing. The case continued in court under the existing notice requirements. DHS did not offer details on any future routes involving Pakistan, Georgia, or Iran.

With inputs from PTI