President Donald Trump’s administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan, a US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups said on Friday.
Many of those facing deportation fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover and the US military withdrawal in 2021, according to Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, a coalition advocating for Afghan refugees.
Some of those facing removal are “brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban already has every reason to target,” VanDiver added.
More than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported in what would be one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans from the United States, The New York Times reported.
The administration has already detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana, with the first deportation flight expected to depart as early as Monday, according to the newspaper.
A US official said the deportations would take place through Pakistan because Washington lacks diplomatic relations with the Taliban and cannot arrange removals directly to Afghanistan.
Afghan deportations planned amid Trump’s immigration crackdown
The planned deportations come amid Trump’s broader immigration crackdown, which the president has defended as necessary to strengthen domestic security.
Human rights advocates, however, have criticized the administration’s immigration policies, arguing that they violate due process and free speech protections while creating an unsafe environment for minority communities. Concerns have also been raised about racial profiling.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm details of any upcoming deportation operations, citing operational security concerns.
VanDiver has urged Congress to pass legislation granting Afghans living in the United States Temporary Protected Status, which would shield eligible individuals from deportation.
The planned removals also come as Pakistan continues its own campaign to expel Afghan nationals. Since 2023, more than two million Afghans have been deported from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
