Trump Administration Plans To Deport Afghan Immigrants To Afghanistan
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.
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, according to NBC News. Of those, 19 were reportedly moved without legal representation. Since returning to office, his administration has suspended refugee admissions, including those for Afghans who had sought protection in the United States following the 2021 withdrawal of US-led forces.
Because the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, the broader plan reportedly involves routing deportees through Pakistan.
“The administration’s position is, ‘These individuals do not have status in our country, therefore we don’t really care what happens to them,’” the official said. A senior Trump administration official, speaking anonymously to NBC News, indicated that the potential consequences for Afghans facing deportation were not a major concern for the White House. The proposed removals come amid US president Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown.
The policy marks a reversal of earlier efforts to provide refuge to Afghans fleeing Taliban rule and political instability.
The administration has also pursued third-country deportation arrangements, sending migrants to countries other than their countries of origin. Immigration lawyers and human rights advocates argue that such arrangements could circumvent international protections against returning asylum seekers to places where they may face persecution.
The legality of these deportation policies is expected to come before the US Supreme Court in December.