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Trump administration to deport 150 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan via Pakistan

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The planned removals mark an escalation in federal enforcement, with officials transferring dozens of detained individuals to Louisiana staging areas ahead of scheduled departure flights. Advocates emphasize that many deportees have family members who assisted American forces during the war, making return to their home country perilous. Furthermore, the operational reliance on third-country arrangements faces an upcoming legal test before the U.S. Supreme Court, while also complicating conditions for Pakistan, which has already expelled more than two million Afghans since 2023.

Key points

  • The White House has suspended refugee admissions for Afghans who escaped after the 2021 w…: The White House has suspended refugee admissions for Afghans who escaped after the 2021 withdrawal of American forces.
  • The legality of utilizing third-country removal arrangements is scheduled to be reviewed…: The legality of utilizing third-country removal arrangements is scheduled to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court in December.
  • Advocacy groups are urging Congress to enact temporary protected status to shield eligibl…: Advocacy groups are urging Congress to enact temporary protected status to shield eligible Afghans from Taliban persecution.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

The Trump administration is preparing to deport more than 150 Afghan immigrants and refugees to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan via Pakistan. The first deportation flight could take off as early as Monday.

The broader plan reportedly involves routing deportees through Pakistan because the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

According to NBC News, Shawn VanDiver, president of San Diego-based advocacy group AfghanEvac, said at least 80 Afghans had recently been transferred to Louisiana from 34 ICE detention facilities across the United States. Of those, 19 were reportedly moved without legal representation.

Many of those facing deportation reportedly fled Afghanistan following the Taliban's return to power in 2021, including individuals whose family members had worked alongside US forces during the two-decade war.

Shawn warned that returning these individuals could expose them and their families to serious risks of persecution and retaliation.

"Some facing deportation are brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban already has every reason to target," VanDiver added.

A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously to NBC News, indicated…

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