Second Attempt Fails: Plane Carrying Deported Iranians Returns to US After Pakistan Refuses Landing

A plane carrying Iranian nationals whom U.S. authorities intended to deport to their home country returned to the United States shortly after takeoff on Tuesday, following Pakistan's refusal to receive it. This marks the second failed attempt to deport the same group within days, according to ABC News.

The Legal Defense Fund for Iranian Americans and informed sources stated that the plan involved transferring the deportees to Pakistan, where local authorities would subsequently transport them to Iran. However, Islamabad refused to accept the plane for reasons that remain unclear.

This second attempt followed the cancellation of a similar flight on Sunday, when the plane was stopped on a runway at an airport in Arizona, ready for takeoff, before the Iranians were returned to detention centers.

According to Human Rights First, which monitors deportation flights, a small aircraft belonging to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement departed from Mesa, Arizona, around 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday, before returning to the United States approximately 30 minutes later.

Judicial Controversy Over Deportation to Iran
These deportation attempts come amidst a legal dispute regarding the return of Iranian migrants to their country during the war between the United States and Iran.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated on Wednesday that the plane carried "illegal immigrants convicted of crimes," including assault, drug trafficking, child abuse, domestic violence, and illegal possession of weapons.

A department spokesperson added that all individuals included in the deportation had "final orders issued against them and underwent necessary legal procedures," affirming that the administration "will use all available legal means to execute the largest deportation operation in U.S. history."

However, court transcripts from a hearing held last October 15, released last week, revealed that Federal Judge Ana Reyes ordered the government to notify the court at least five days before placing any person on a vehicle or plane designated for deportation, and to provide 24-hour notice of any final plan to execute the deportation.

According to ABC News, the government has not yet provided public notification to the judge regarding the two recent deportation attempts.

Threat of Contempt of Court Proceedings
The judge warned that she would initiate contempt of court proceedings against any official found to have violated her orders.

During the session, she stated: "If anything occurs that violates either of these two orders, I will hold every person connected to the violation responsible and begin contempt of court proceedings."

The judge strongly criticized the idea of returning Iranians to their country amidst the war, noting that the United States is attempting to send people under its care and custody to a state it has bombed, and may continue to bomb, considering it an enemy.

In criticizing the government's request, Reyes likened the deportation of these individuals to Iran to returning people from the United States to Nazi Germany in 1942.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed by the Legal Defense Fund for Iranian Americans, accusing the U.S. government of sharing confidential information regarding Iranian asylum seekers with Iranian authorities.