Humboldt Park restaurant owner faces deportation flight to Pakistan; family pleas unanswered

(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, UNITED STATES) — U.S. immigration authorities deported Asif Amin Cheema, a 63-year-old sub shop owner in Chicago’s Humboldt Park, to Pakistan on Thursday, January 1, 2026, despite what his family described as last-minute pleas to stop his removal.

Case timeline and background

• Arrival in the U.S.: Cheema arrived in the United States in 1989.
• Final order of removal: A federal immigration judge issued a final order of removal at an earlier stage in the proceedings, which culminated in his arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in September 2025.
• Detention and appeals: The family said they pursued every legal avenue up to the last minute, but their efforts were unsuccessful and Cheema was put on a deportation flight to Pakistan on New Year’s Day.

“Watching someone we love suffer not just because he’s dangerous,” the family said, using the phrase to emphasize their view that he should not have been treated as a threat.

Family, community ties, and character

Cheema’s relatives and their attorney emphasized several key points about his life and role in the community:

• He has no criminal record, according to the family and their attorney.
• He was described as a well-known and beloved figure in Humboldt Park, where he owned and worked behind the counter of a small sub shop for years.
• During a clinic visit one week before his arrest, doctors reportedly called him “the heart of their family.” The family cites that description as emblematic of his caregiver role at home.

Immediate reaction and community impact

• The deportation was reported as breaking news by ABC 7 Chicago on Friday, January 2, 2026, with live streaming coverage.
• The family said Cheema’s small business and daily presence had made him a familiar face to many customers and neighbors, and his removal has resonated across the Humboldt Park community.
• Relatives framed the removal as a painful turn for a family that has lived in the United States for decades, describing the days leading up to the flight as a period of uncertainty marked by urgent appeals to halt the deportation.

Legal and procedural notes

• The family presented the deportation as the culmination of a long-running immigration case, beginning with the final order of removal from a federal immigration judge, followed by the ICE arrest in September 2025, and ending with removal on January 1, 2026.
• The attorney for Cheema and his family highlighted the contrast between the family’s description of him and the government’s decision to carry out the removal.
• The family did not provide a detailed, step-by-step account of the specific court filings or motions they pursued, only that they “pressed their case until the last moment.”

Current situation and next steps

• The family said the deportation left them “into fear and uncertainty,” and that they are now deciding what comes next after Cheema’s removal separated him from Humboldt Park and the life they had built in the United States.
• It was not indicated whether Cheema spoke with relatives immediately before or after the deportation flight.

Broader significance

Cheema’s case illustrates the high stakes of immigration proceedings once a final order of removal has been issued: families can face abrupt separations when deportations are carried out. For Cheema’s relatives in Chicago, that separation is now a reality, and they must navigate the consequences of his sudden absence from home, work, and community.