Trump Administration Plans Deportation Flight to Pakistan, Putting Afghan Refugees at Risk
US to deport Afghan refugees to Pakistan, sparking concerns over Taliban persecution and US national security. Learn more about the Trump administration's plan
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C. — The Trump administration is preparing to deport dozens of Afghan immigrants and asylum-seekers to Pakistan, a move that critics say could put their lives at risk.
The proposed deportation flight, which has not been publicly announced, could take place as early as Monday, according to rights advocates and families of detainees. Among those facing deportation are relatives of Afghans who worked with the US military in its 20-year war against the Taliban.
Afghans driven from their country by war and political instability have been welcomed by the US for decades, including tens of thousands who fled the country following the chaotic withdrawal of US-led forces in 2021. President Donald Trump halted admissions for Afghans and other refugees when he returned to office last year as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
Shawn VanDiver, president of the San Diego-based advocacy group AfghanEvac, said it had confirmed that in recent days, at least 80 Afghans have been moved to Louisiana from 34 other ICE facilities around the country, 19 of them without legal representation. VanDiver said the Trump administration would most likely be aware that Afghans sent to Pakistan would be at high risk of being returned to Afghanistan.
A State Department spokesperson said the agency had “no plans to announce.” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. The preparations for the deportation flight come nearly a year after a shooting in Washington that killed one National Guard member and seriously injured another.
The Trump administration’s treatment of Afghan allies could also have long-term consequences for US national security by discouraging people in other countries from working with US forces in future conflicts. VanDiver said the Trump administration may also be using the Pakistan flight as a test case for Camp As Sayliyah, a US-run camp in Qatar where more than 1,000 Afghans have been stranded since Trump returned to office last year.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
