US deportation flight carrying Iranians turned back after Pakistan refuses entry - report

A US deportation flight carrying Iranian detainees with criminal histories was forced to turn around on Tuesday after Pakistan refused to receive them, according to ABC News. The flight was the second failed attempt; an earlier flight from Mesa, Arizona was canceled on Sunday. The DHS confirmed the detainees had final removal orders.

A US deportation flight carrying Iranian detainees with criminal histories was forced to turn around on Tuesday after Pakistan reportedly refused to receive them, ABC News reported, citing the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund. The detainees were scheduled to be flown to Pakistan before being transported to Iran, but Pakistani authorities declined to accept them for reasons that remain unclear. This was the second failed attempt to deport the group; an earlier flight from Mesa, Arizona was canceled on Sunday after detainees had already boarded. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said the flight contained criminal illegal aliens with arrests and convictions for assault, drug trafficking, child abuse, domestic battery, and illegal weapon possession, all with final removal orders. The spokesperson stated the Trump administration is employing all lawful options to carry out the largest deportation operation in history. The failed attempts follow criticism from US District Judge Ana Reyes, who condemned plans to return Iranian nationals amid the ongoing war and compared the move to sending individuals back to Nazi Germany during World War II.