Arab News | Trump’s administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants

WASHINGTON: A US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups reported on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration intends to deport some Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan. Here are more details:

Sean VanDeveer, head of Afghan Evac, stated that many of those facing deportation fled Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in 2021 and the withdrawal of US forces.

VanDeveer added that some of those facing deportation are “brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, and these families already have every reason to be targeted by the Taliban.”

The New York Times reported that more than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported in one of the largest single deportation operations of Afghans.

The newspaper noted that the administration has detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and plans to deport them, indicating that the first flight is expected to take off soon, possibly on Monday.

A US official stated that the deportations will occur via Pakistan. Washington cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan due to the lack of diplomatic relations with the Taliban.

Trump claims that his tough stance on immigration and deportations aims to improve domestic security.

Human rights advocates argue that these strict measures violate due process and freedom of expression, creating an unsafe environment for minorities, who have expressed concerns about racial profiling.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that it would not confirm future deportations, citing operational security reasons.

VanDeveer urged Congress to pass legislation granting Afghan residents in the United States temporary protected status to shield them from deportation.

Pakistan has deported more than two million Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan since 2023.