Trump administration to deport 150 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan via Pakistan

The administration is preparing to remove more than 150 Afghans from the United States and send them to Afghanistan. The plan matters because Afghanistan is controlled by the Taliban, and some deportees reportedly fled after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Their return could expose them to persecution or retaliation.

The proposed route would pass through Pakistan because the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government. At least 80 Afghans were recently transferred to Louisiana from 34 ICE detention facilities. Nineteen reportedly moved without legal representation. Some are brothers or sons of people who served alongside U.S. forces.

The first deportation flight could leave as early as Monday. The plan is part of a wider immigration crackdown that has suspended refugee admissions, including for Afghans seeking protection. Advocates are urging Congress to create Temporary Protected Status, while lawyers and human rights groups challenge third-country removals.

A Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is a country where the Taliban government holds political power. This matters because many Afghans facing removal reportedly escaped after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Returning them may place them near the authorities and conditions they fled, including possible persecution or retaliation.

The United States reportedly plans to send deportees through Pakistan rather than directly through an official U.S.-Afghan diplomatic channel. The article gives a clear reason: the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government. Pakistan would therefore serve as the proposed transit country before deportees reach Afghanistan.

The route could create legal and practical complications. Immigration lawyers and human rights advocates argue that third-country arrangements might bypass protections for people facing persecution. Pakistan has already deported more than two million Afghan nationals since 2023, adding pressure to Islamabad if the plan proceeds.

The proposed U.S. removals involve more than 150 Afghan immigrants and refugees. Pakistan’s figure is dramatically larger: Islamabad has deported more than two million Afghan nationals since 2023. These figures describe different actions and populations, but the contrast shows the much greater scale of Pakistan’s deportation campaign.

Using 150 as a minimum comparison, the U.S. group would represent less than 0.01 percent of two million. Put another way, two million is more than 13,000 times 150. Because both figures use “more than,” the exact ratio cannot be calculated, but the scale difference remains enormous.

The U.S. plan could still have serious consequences for the people involved. At least 80 Afghans were recently moved to Louisiana, and the first flight could leave as early as Monday. Pakistan could face added complications if it must facilitate the proposed transfers.

Many of the Afghans facing deportation reportedly left after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The article links their flight to Taliban rule and political instability. They sought protection in the United States after the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces, rather than simply moving for ordinary economic reasons.

Family connections could increase danger. Some people facing removal are brothers and sons of men who served alongside U.S. forces during the two-decade war. Shawn VanDiver said the Taliban already has reason to target such families. Those relationships could identify deportees and relatives as connected to the former U.S. presence.

The risk is not presented as a guaranteed outcome for every person. VanDiver warned that return could expose deportees and their families to serious persecution and retaliation. The possibility is central to arguments that the removals should be paused and that eligible Afghans should receive temporary protection.

Returning these Afghans could place them and their families in danger. The article specifically warns of serious persecution and retaliation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. This matters because many reportedly fled after 2021, when the Taliban regained power and political instability continued.

A concrete example involves brothers and sons of Afghans who served alongside U.S. forces during the two-decade war. VanDiver said the Taliban has reason to target those families. The proposed deportation mechanism would send people through Pakistan and then into Afghanistan, despite the United States lacking diplomatic relations with the Taliban government.

The article does not state what would happen to each deportee after arrival. It does state that lawyers and human rights advocates fear third-country arrangements could evade protections against return to persecution. Congress could be asked to provide Temporary Protected Status, while the legality of these policies is expected before the Supreme Court in December.

Temporary Protected Status is a proposed legal safeguard for eligible Afghans. In this article, its purpose is to protect them from deportation while conditions in Afghanistan remain dangerous. It would not erase every immigration issue, but it could prevent removal during the period covered by the protection.

The mechanism is straightforward: Congress would pass legislation granting TPS to qualifying Afghans. Those covered could remain protected from deportation instead of being sent to Afghanistan through Pakistan. This matters particularly for people who fled after the Taliban returned to power and for families linked to former U.S. forces.

Shawn VanDiver has called on Congress to act. The appeal comes as the administration suspends refugee admissions and pursues removals, including third-country arrangements. TPS could offer a temporary response while Afghanistan remains unsafe, but the article does not say whether Congress will pass such legislation or when protection would begin.

Asylum protections are meant to prevent people from being sent back to places where they may face persecution. The related international principle limits removals when serious danger is present. It matters here because the proposed destination is Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where advocates say some deportees could face retaliation.

A third-country route does not automatically remove that concern. The administration reportedly plans to send Afghans through Pakistan because the United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government. Immigration lawyers and human rights advocates argue that such arrangements could circumvent protections against returning asylum seekers to persecution.

The article does not settle the legal question. It says the legality of these deportation policies is expected to come before the U.S. Supreme Court in December. Until then, the proposed route remains contested, with advocates seeking protection for eligible Afghans and the administration pursuing broader removals.