WASHINGTON, DC, The United States administration plans to deport a group of Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan, a US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups said on Friday.
More than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to face removal in one of the largest single deportation operations targeting Afghans. Dozens of these individuals are already detained in Louisiana.
A US official stated that the planned deportations will be carried out via Pakistan. Washington cannot arrange direct flights to Afghanistan because the United States maintains no formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban government.
Sean VanDeveer, head of Afghan Evac, explained that many of the individuals facing deportation fled their homeland after the Taliban seized power in 2021 following the withdrawal of United States military forces.
VanDeveer warned that some slated for removal are relatives of local allies. They include brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, and these families already have every reason to be targeted by the Taliban.
President Donald Trump defended his broader immigration stance on domestic security grounds. He claims his strict approach to deportations is necessary to improve safety within the United States.
Human rights advocates strongly criticized the plan. They argued that these strict measures violate due process and freedom of expression while creating an unsafe environment for minorities who have expressed concerns about racial profiling.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm the upcoming deportations, citing operational security reasons for withholding details about the expected flights.
VanDeveer called on the United States Congress to take immediate legislative action. He urged lawmakers to pass a bill granting Afghan residents in the country temporary protected status to shield them from deportation.
The first flight carrying the detained Afghans is expected to depart as early as Monday. Pakistan has already deported more than two million Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan since 2023.
