Washington is preparing to send more than 150 Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan, and a first flight could leave as early as Monday, according to a media report and a US official. The removals would pass through Pakistan because the United States has no diplomatic ties with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, a US official said.
Many of those facing removal left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 and the withdrawal of US forces, said Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition that advocates for Afghans who supported the American mission.
Advocates warn of danger for Afghans with US ties
A newspaper report said the planned deportations could be among the largest single expulsions of Afghans. It added that the administration has detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana.
VanDiver cautioned that some people facing deportation have close relatives who served alongside US forces. He said: “Brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban already has every reason to target.” He also urged Congress to grant temporary protected status to Afghans in the United States, which would shield them from deportation.
Washington’s crackdown and Pakistan’s own expulsions
Trump has said his immigration crackdown and deportation drive are meant to improve domestic security. Rights advocates, however, argue that the crackdown violates due process and free speech, and they have raised concerns about racial profiling and an unsafe environment for minorities.
The US Department of Homeland Security said it would not confirm future removal operations, citing operational security. Meanwhile, Pakistan is continuing its own effort to repatriate undocumented foreign nationals, including Afghans, and has expelled more than two million Afghan nationals to Afghanistan since 2023.
