Trump Administration Plans to Deport More Than 150 Afghans to Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan Through Pakistan

Washington, D.C. (Terror Monitor) — The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to deport more than 150 Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan through Pakistan, a move that has prompted warnings from refugee advocacy groups and human rights organizations that some of those facing removal could be exposed to persecution and serious security risks under Taliban rule.

According to reports by The New York Times, Reuters and Agence France-Presse (AFP), the first deportation flight could depart as early as Monday, November 2. The proposed operation could become one of the largest single expulsions of Afghan nationals from the United States.

The New York Times reported on Friday, citing three US officials familiar with the arrangements, that the Trump administration had detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and was preparing to transfer them to Pakistan before they were sent across the border into Afghanistan.

A US official separately confirmed to Reuters that the deportations would be routed through Pakistan because Washington does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Taliban authorities in Kabul.

The US government has not publicly announced the full details of the operation, including the final number of people involved and the arrangements for their transfer.

Families of former US military allies among those facing deportation

The proposed deportations have raised particular concerns because some of the Afghans facing removal are reportedly relatives of individuals who worked alongside US military forces during the two-decade-long American military presence in Afghanistan.

According to AfghanEvac, an organization that assists Afghans who supported the US mission, some of those facing deportation are close family members of former Afghan allies who assisted American forces before the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver warned that returning these individuals to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan could expose them and their families to serious danger.

In a statement, VanDiver described some of those facing deportation as brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, arguing that their family connections could make them potential targets for Taliban reprisals.

He urged the US Congress to introduce legislation granting Afghan nationals Temporary Protected Status (TPS), which could provide eligible individuals with protection from deportation.

Pakistan to serve as transit route for deportations

The proposed operation would involve sending Afghan immigrants from the United States to Pakistan, where they would subsequently be transferred across the border into Afghanistan.

According to US officials cited by the New York Times and Reuters, Washington cannot directly organize deportations to Afghanistan because it lacks diplomatic relations with the Taliban administration.

Pakistan is therefore expected to oversee the final stage of the deportation process.

The development comes as Pakistan continues its nationwide campaign against undocumented Afghan nationals.

Since 2023, Pakistani authorities have deported more than two million Afghan nationals as part of a repatriation policy targeting Afghans living in the country without valid documentation.

The Pakistani government has also directed law enforcement agencies to take action against undocumented Afghan residents, including those who entered Pakistan following the Taliban's return to power.

The proposed US deportation operation would take place against the backdrop of already strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly following repeated border clashes and tensions over security and militant activity.

Human rights concerns over return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

Human rights organizations have repeatedly documented cases of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings involving former Afghan government officials and members of the country's former security forces.

Although the Taliban announced a general amnesty after taking power in August 2021, international monitoring organizations have continued to report violations against people associated with the former government and Western-backed security forces.

In a July 2025 report, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Human Rights Office documented cases of involuntarily returned Afghans who experienced torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary detention and threats to their personal security.

The report identified former government officials, former security personnel, women and girls, media workers and civil society members among groups particularly vulnerable to reprisals and other human rights violations after returning to Afghanistan.

UNAMA also noted that large numbers of Afghans had been involuntarily returned to Afghanistan, primarily from Pakistan and Iran, since 2023.

More recently, UN human rights monitoring has continued to document arbitrary arrests, detention, torture and killings involving former members of the Afghan security forces.

Human Rights Watch has also highlighted continuing concerns over extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and mistreatment under Taliban rule.

Concerns over vulnerable individuals and legal protections

The New York Times reported that the group facing deportation includes individuals who could face discrimination or persecution under the Taliban, including relatives of former Afghan military allies and at least one gay man.

The newspaper also reported that the administration's plan could involve individuals whose circumstances raise significant humanitarian and legal concerns.

US immigration law generally prohibits deportation to a country where an individual is likely to face persecution or torture, subject to applicable legal procedures and exceptions. However, the individual circumstances and legal protections of those included in the proposed operation have not been fully established publicly.

Lawyers representing some detained Afghans have raised concerns about the planned removals, while refugee advocacy organizations have called for the operation to be halted.

Trump administration's immigration crackdown

The proposed deportations come amid President Trump's broader immigration enforcement campaign, which has included restrictions on immigration from several countries, including Afghanistan.

The administration has also pursued measures affecting Afghan nationals who previously benefited from temporary protections or special immigration arrangements following the Taliban takeover.

Many Afghans who arrived in the United States after August 2021 had fled the country because of security threats, their association with the former Afghan government, or their cooperation with American military and diplomatic missions.

Refugee advocacy groups argue that sending vulnerable Afghans back to Taliban-controlled territory could expose individuals who sought protection in the United States to the very dangers that forced them to flee.

The US Department of Homeland Security has declined to confirm details of prospective deportation operations, citing operational security.

Taliban authorities had not publicly responded to the latest reports at the time of publication.