WASHINGTON: More than 150 Afghans in the United States could soon face deportation to their homeland through Pakistan, despite concerns that returning to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan could put their lives at risk, U.S. media reported.
The New York Times reported the planned deportations, citing three unnamed U.S. officials. The first flight could leave as early as Monday as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies its immigration crackdown.
Those expected to be deported include relatives of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military before Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, according to AfghanEvac, an organization that helps former Afghan allies.
The United States cannot directly deport the immigrants to Afghanistan, the officials told the Times. Pakistan is expected to facilitate their removal across the border.
Trump imposed travel restrictions on several countries, including Afghanistan, last year and moved to end deportation protections for Afghan nationals. Some had received special immigrant visas after the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
The planned removals have raised alarm among advocacy groups, which warn that returning Afghans could face serious risks under Taliban rule.
Pakistan, meanwhile, has intensified its campaign to repatriate undocumented Afghan nationals. Earlier this year, the government directed law enforcement agencies nationwide to arrest Afghans living in the country without valid visas.
The policy is part of a broader repatriation drive that has pushed millions of Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban takeover to return.
