U.S. Plans to Send Afghan Detainees Through Pakistan

Officials are preparing to remove dozens of Afghan immigrants held in Louisiana, with a first flight expected as soon as November 2. The plan would send them to Pakistan, which is expected to return them across the border to Afghanistan. One U.S. official said more than 150 Afghans could be deported, potentially making this an unusually large single removal of Afghans from the United States.

The group reportedly includes relatives of people who worked with U.S. forces, as well as a gay man. Mohammad, 47, said he was moved to a Louisiana prison last week after being detained in Oklahoma. He said he fears imprisonment or execution in Afghanistan because he is gay. His lawyer has filed emergency motions to stop his deportation; a judge has not yet ruled.

Afghan advocates said at least 80 people had recently been transferred to Louisiana from 34 ICE facilities. Lawyers and detainees said they had been told they were being sent to Afghanistan. Some deportees have pending asylum claims, while others have had claims denied or have deportation orders. It is not clear whether anyone on the planned flight has a court order protecting them from return to Afghanistan.

U.S. law bars deportation to a country where a person is likely to face persecution when a court has ruled on that risk. The administration has not publicly announced the plan. A Homeland Security spokesperson said the agency does not comment on prospective removals. Pakistan has recently pressured Afghans to leave and forcibly returned some, while the Taliban’s rule has brought restrictions on women and other reported risks for those viewed with suspicion.

Lawyers are challenging some cases, and the first flight could leave in early November. The Supreme Court will consider in December whether deporting people to countries other than their own is legal.

Deporting Afghan Detainees Through Pakistan Risks Their Return to the Taliban

The Trump administration is preparing to send dozens of Afghan immigrants to Pakistan, knowing that many could then be forced back into Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The first flight could leave as soon as Monday, and one official said the overall group may exceed 150 people.

The detainees include relatives of people who helped U.S. forces and a gay man who says he would face grave danger in Afghanistan. Mohammad, 47, said he was transferred to Louisiana for deportation. His lawyer has asked a judge to block his removal, but no decision has been made. Other detainees include people whose asylum cases are pending or have been denied.

U.S. law bars returns to countries where courts have found a person likely to face persecution. It is unclear whether anyone on the flight has that protection. Sending people through Pakistan does not erase the danger they face if they are handed to the Taliban. Pakistan has recently forced Afghans to leave, and advocates say those sent there are at risk of being returned across the border.

The administration has not publicly announced the plan, and Homeland Security declined to discuss prospective removals. Lawyers are challenging some cases. The Supreme Court is due to consider the legality of deportations to third countries in December. Treating Afghan allies and asylum seekers as removable cases carries risks beyond their individual safety, advocates warn, including undermining confidence in future U.S. partnerships.

Deportations Proceed for Afghans Without U.S. Immigration Status

The Trump administration is moving ahead with the removal of dozens of Afghan immigrants, including people who have deportation orders or whose asylum claims were denied. The first flight could leave as soon as Monday, and one official said the broader group may include more than 150 people.

The planned route is through Pakistan, which is expected to send the detainees across the border to Afghanistan. The administration has not publicly announced the operation, and Homeland Security said it does not comment on prospective removals. The government’s position, as described by an official, is that the individuals lack status in the United States.

The case raises serious questions because some Afghans could face persecution under Taliban rule. Mohammad, a gay detainee moved to Louisiana, says he fears for his life; his lawyer has filed emergency motions seeking to stop his deportation. U.S. law prohibits removal to a country where a court has found a person likely to face persecution, though it is unclear whether any people on the flight have such protection.

Pakistan has pressured Afghans to leave and forcibly returned some. Lawyers are challenging certain deportations, and the Supreme Court is set to debate the legality of sending people to countries other than their own in December. The dispute pits enforcement of U.S. immigration rules against the legal and humanitarian risks of the route.