Deportation flight of Iranians from Arizona canceled at the last minute, lawyer says

A U.S. deportation flight carrying Iranian nationals was canceled Sunday morning, according to an attorney who spoke to some of the detainees. The flight was to go to Iran by way of Georgia and Pakistan. ¹

At least eight Iranians were loaded onto a plane in Mesa, Arizona, said Ali Rahnama, an attorney with the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The flight was canceled without explanation, he said. ¹

What the court papers show

Court documents unsealed days ago showed the Trump administration said as recently as mid-October that it planned to deport Iranians to Iran through an unnamed third country. That is happening while the war, which began in February, drags on. ¹

The documents come from a civil lawsuit the fund filed in July. It alleges the U.S. government illegally shared confidential information about Iranians seeking asylum with Iranian officials. ¹ No court has ruled on those claims, and the Department of Homeland Security denies the allegations. ¹²

From Channel GOPMeyers on Trump's UN threat to annihilate IranSeth Meyers · captioned, with the source named

Rahnama said the eight detainees boarded after a senior official from the Iranian Interests Section visited them. That office operates inside Pakistan's embassy in Washington. The official told them Iran would take them on from Pakistan, he said. ¹

Rahnama also said at least one person on the flight had volunteered to return after nearly two years in detention. It is unclear how many others may have volunteered. ¹

What the administration says

The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not comment on “prospective removal operations, including flight schedules, passenger manifests, destinations, or individual case details.” ¹

As promised, the Trump Administration is employing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history,

There were three deportation flights to Iran between September 2025 and January 2026, with more than 100 Iranians deported. ¹ The lawsuit puts the total at 115 to 125 people since last September. Two of those flights left from the ICE facility at Mesa Gateway Airport, and the last left January 25. ²

Court orders and the risk

U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes has ordered the government to give 24 hours' notice of finalized deportation plans to Iran or any other country. She also ordered five days' written notice before any removal. The defense fund argued in a court filing that the administration may have violated that order. ¹

Later Sunday, the government filed court documents, but they were sealed. ¹ Public Citizen attorney Michael Kirkpatrick, whose group represents the fund, said sharing asylum information with Iran could endanger people who took part in pro-democracy protests, converted to Christianity or are LGBTQ. ²

The law is very clear that that information should not be revealed

At least a dozen detainees in the lawsuit say Iranian officials contacted them and knew their sensitive asylum information. ¹

What happens next

The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund has called for a halt to the removal flights. ¹ About a dozen detainees said in the past week they were scheduled for a Pakistan-Iran flight, and attorneys confirmed those plans with Homeland Security. ¹

The government has not said why Sunday's flight was called off or whether it will be rescheduled. The pattern here is a push to keep removals moving during a war. The sealed filing and the court's notice rules may now decide how quickly the next flight can go. ¹

The Record

1. Jan 25, 2026The last known deportation flight to Iran before this one left Mesa, Arizona ².
2. Jul 7, 2026A lawsuit by the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund, accusing the government of sharing asylum information with Iran, was reported ².
3. Nov 8, 2026A deportation flight of at least eight Iranians was canceled in Mesa, Arizona, without explanation, their attorney says ¹.

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<h2>Deportation flight of Iranians from Arizona canceled at the last minute, lawyer says</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files National Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/deportation-flight-of-iranians-from-arizona-canceled-at-the-last-minute-lawyer-says">The GOP Files</a> on Monday, November 9, 2026.</em></p> <p>A U.S. deportation flight carrying Iranian nationals was canceled Sunday morning, according to an attorney who spoke to some of the detainees. The flight was to go to Iran by way of Georgia and Pakistan.</p> <p>At least eight Iranians were loaded onto a plane in Mesa, Arizona, said Ali Rahnama, an attorney with the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The flight was canceled without explanation, he said.</p> <h2>What the court papers show</h2> <p>Court documents unsealed days ago showed the Trump administration said as recently as mid-October that it planned to deport Iranians to Iran through an unnamed third country. That is happening while the war, which began in February, drags on.</p> <p>The documents come from a civil lawsuit the fund filed in July. It alleges the U.S. government illegally shared confidential information about Iranians seeking asylum with Iranian officials. No court has ruled on those claims, and the Department of Homeland Security denies the allegations.</p> <p>Rahnama said the eight detainees boarded after a senior official from the Iranian Interests Section visited them. That office operates inside Pakistan&#39;s embassy in Washington. The official told them Iran would take them on from Pakistan, he said.</p> <p>Rahnama also said at least one person on the flight had volunteered to return after nearly two years in detention. It is unclear how many others may have volunteered.</p> <h2>What the administration says</h2> <p>The Department of Homeland Security said Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not comment on “prospective removal operations, including flight schedules, passenger manifests, destinations, or individual case details.”</p> <blockquote><p>As promised, the Trump Administration is employing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history,</p><p>&mdash; Department of Homeland Security, federal agency statement to The Associated Press</p></blockquote> <p>There were three deportation flights to Iran between September 2025 and January 2026, with more than 100 Iranians deported. The lawsuit puts the total at 115 to 125 people since last September. Two of those flights left from the ICE facility at Mesa Gateway Airport, and the last left January 25.</p> <h2>Court orders and the risk</h2> <p>U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes has ordered the government to give 24 hours&#39; notice of finalized deportation plans to Iran or any other country. She also ordered five days&#39; written notice before any removal. The defense fund argued in a court filing that the administration may have violated that order.</p> <p>Later Sunday, the government filed court documents, but they were sealed. Public Citizen attorney Michael Kirkpatrick, whose group represents the fund, said sharing asylum information with Iran could endanger people who took part in pro-democracy protests, converted to Christianity or are LGBTQ.</p> <blockquote><p>The law is very clear that that information should not be revealed</p><p>&mdash; Michael Kirkpatrick, attorney, Public Citizen, representing the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund</p></blockquote> <p>At least a dozen detainees in the lawsuit say Iranian officials contacted them and knew their sensitive asylum information.</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>The Iranian American Legal Defense Fund has called for a halt to the removal flights. About a dozen detainees said in the past week they were scheduled for a Pakistan-Iran flight, and attorneys confirmed those plans with Homeland Security.</p> <p>The government has not said why Sunday&#39;s flight was called off or whether it will be rescheduled. The pattern here is a push to keep removals moving during a war. The sealed filing and the court&#39;s notice rules may now decide how quickly the next flight can go.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/deportation-flight-of-iranians-from-arizona-canceled-at-the-last-minute-lawyer-says">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/deportation-flight-of-iranians-from-arizona-canceled-at-the-last-minute-lawyer-says.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. ABC News (AP), “Deportation flight of Iranians from US scuttled at last minute, attorney says” (2026-11-09). abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/deportation-flight-iranians-u
2. Arizona's Family, “Lawsuit accuses DHS of revealing confidential asylum claims to Iranian government” (2026-07-07). azfamily.com/2026/07/08/lawsuit-accuses-dhs-revealing-confid

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