US to Begin Deporting Afghan Detainees via Pakistan, Documents Reveal
U.S. plans to start sending Afghan detainees from Louisiana to Pakistan for onward removal to Afghanistan, sparking concerns over safety and diplomatic hurdles.
POLICY WIRE — Washington, D.C., United States — The U.S. government intends to start moving Afghan detainees from Louisiana detention facilities to Pakistan as early as Monday, court documents show.
The action forms part of a broader Trump‑era policy to return Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan through Pakistan, a pathway selected because Washington lacks formal diplomatic channels with the Taliban‑run government.
Officials plan to transport the individuals by air from Louisiana to Pakistan, where they are expected to be expelled across the border into Afghanistan.
Advocacy groups and attorneys caution that the scheme could place the deportees at risk of persecution, given the Taliban’s control and uncertain protection in Pakistan.
Detainees have begun receiving notices about the forthcoming transfers, according to a federal official familiar with the plan and lawyers representing the affected clients.
The Pakistan route allows the administration to bypass the diplomatic hurdle of direct removals, underscoring reliance on third‑party nations for refugee repatriation.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
