Trump Administration Plans Deportations of Afghan Immigrants Back to Taliban-Controlled Nation

The federal government is preparing to deport a group of Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan, according to a U.S. official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups. The impending removals threaten individuals who fled their homeland following the chaotic 2021 Taliban takeover and subsequent U.S. military withdrawal.

Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of the advocacy coalition #AfghanEvac, stated that many of those facing removal are close relatives of individuals who assisted American military forces overseas. These include brothers and sons of men who served alongside U.S. troops, leaving them vulnerable to direct targeting by the Taliban.

Reports indicate that more than 150 Afghan immigrants are slated for expulsion in what would mark one of the largest single removal operations of its kind. Federal authorities have recently detained dozens of Afghan nationals in Louisiana, with initial removal flights anticipated as early as Monday, according to published accounts.

Because Washington maintains no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government, direct repatriation flights to Afghanistan are not feasible. Instead, a U.S. official confirmed that the deportations will be routed through Pakistan.

President Donald Trump’s administration has defended its broader immigration enforcement and deportation initiatives as necessary measures to enhance domestic security. Meanwhile, civil rights advocates have strongly criticized the crackdown, arguing that the policies undermine due process, infringe upon free speech, and foster an insecure environment characterized by racial profiling for minority communities.

In response to inquiries regarding the planned operations, the Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm specific removal plans, citing operational security protocols.

In the wake of the announcement, VanDiver called upon lawmakers in Congress to enact legislation that would secure temporary protected status for Afghan nationals currently residing in the United States, thereby shielding them from forced repatriation. Regional context underscores the scale of such displacement, with neighboring Pakistan having expelled more than two million Afghan nationals across the border since 2023.