In a continued demonstration of stringent immigration enforcement, the United States has repatriated a second contingent of Iranian nationals, according to confirmations from Tehran officials. A charter flight transporting over 50 individuals departed from Mesa, Arizona, on Sunday, completing its journey through intermediate stops in Cairo and Kuwait before ultimately arriving in Iran.
Tehran’s Foreign Ministry formally acknowledged the return of its citizens, while U.S. immigration authorities maintained their standard protocol of neither confirming nor denying such operations due to security considerations. This deportation follows an initial flight in late September, marking a rare instance of operational coordination between the two diplomatically estranged nations.
Reports from advocacy groups reveal concerning details about the deportees. Father Joseph Bach of Borderland Companions of Hope, a Franciscan migrant support organization, received information from contacts within Arizona detention facilities indicating the removal included Christian converts and individuals identifying as LGBT—groups facing severe legal and social persecution in Iran. Father Bach condemned the action as ‘the most unchristian thing to do,’ characterizing it as a ‘death flight’ for vulnerable returnees.
Iranian state media presented an alternative narrative, quoting consular officials who claimed the deportees had ‘announced their willingness for return’ following perceived anti-immigration discrimination by the U.S. However, this contradicts firsthand accounts from detainees who expressed fear for their lives if returned, with one individual telling the BBC he and his partner had entered the U.S. on foot from Mexico earlier this year seeking refuge.
These developments occur against a backdrop of significantly deteriorated U.S.-Iran relations, which escalated further after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June. The deportation flights exemplify the Trump administration’s consistent implementation of hardline immigration policies that prioritize border security and reduce unauthorized migration, central tenets of the president’s political agenda.