Trump administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan

WASHINGTON: 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 facing removal fled Afghanistan after the 2021 Taliban takeover and US withdrawal, said Shawn VanDiver, head of AfghanEvac.

Some facing deportation are “brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban already has every reason to target,” VanDiver added.

Over 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported, the New York Times reported, in one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans.

The administration detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and plans to deport them, the newspaper said, adding the first flight is expected as soon as Monday.

14 Afghan migrants found dead in desert

A US official said deportations would be via Pakistan. Washington cannot directly arrange deportations to Afghanistan as it lacks diplomatic ties with the Taliban.

Trump says his immigration crackdown and deportation drive aim to improve domestic security.

Rights advocates say the crackdown violates due process and free speech and has created an unsafe environment for minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.

The Homeland Security Department said it would not confirm future removal operations, citing operational security.

KP Police launch crackdown against illegal Afghan immigrants

VanDiver urged Congress to pass legislation granting Afghans in the US temporary protected status to protect them from deportation.

Pakistan has expelled over 2 million Afghan nationals to Afghanistan since 2023.