On a Friday in late October, a government and a coalition of veterans and advocates arrived, from opposite sides, at the same unsettling fact: the Trump administration intends to send Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan. The New York Times reports that more than 150 people, many of whom fled after the Taliban returned to power and American forces withdrew in 2021, are held in Louisiana and face removal, possibly beginning within days. Because Washington has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban, the route runs through Pakistan, a country that has itself expelled over two million Afghans s
Trump Administration Plans to Deport Over 150 Afghan Immigrants, Advocates Warn of Taliban Danger
Over 150 Afghan immigrants, many vulnerable and related to men who served alongside US forces, face deportation to a country where advocates say the Taliban may target them.
Families the Taliban already has every reason to target
Mark
Why does this story matter beyond the number, 150?
Mimi
Because of who advocates say is on the list. VanDiver says some are brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, people the Taliban already has reason to target.
Luke
That's his characterization, though. The reporting doesn't tell us how many of the 150 have that family connection, or what the Taliban would actually do to them.
Mark
Fair. What do we know about how the removals would work?
Mimi
A US official says they'd go via Pakistan, since Washington has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban and can't arrange flights directly.
Luke
Worth noting the details of that route aren't spelled out. We don't know how Pakistan is involved or what happens on arrival.
Mark
And the timeline?
Mimi
The New York Times says the first flight could be as soon as Monday, and that dozens are detained in Louisiana.
Luke
That's the Times's reporting. Homeland Security won't confirm future operations, citing security. So the date and the 150 figure are attributed, not confirmed.
Mark
What are advocates asking for?
Mimi
Congress to grant Afghans in the US temporary protected status, which would protect them from deportation.
Luke
And nothing in the source says that's close to happening. That's an ask, not a development.
Il Polso
- More than 150 Afghans, dozens of them held in Louisiana, are reportedly weeks from being put on planes back toward Afghanistan.
- Advocates warn that many of those facing removal are relatives of men who served alongside US forces, people the Taliban has every reason to pursue.
- With no diplomatic ties to the Taliban, Washington plans to route the removals through Pakistan, which has already expelled over two million Afghans.
- The Homeland Security Department will not confirm timing or scale, leaving the first flight, possibly as soon as Monday, unverified.
- Advocates are pressing Congress for temporary protected status, but no such measure has been reported as moving toward a vote.
On a Friday in late October, a government and a coalition of veterans and advocates arrived, from opposite sides, at the same unsettling fact: the Trump administration intends to send Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan. The New York Times reports that more than 150 people, many of whom fled after the Taliban returned to power and American forces withdrew in 2021, are held in Louisiana and face removal, possibly beginning within days. Because Washington has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban, the route runs through Pakistan, a country that has itself expelled over two million Afghans since 2023. The story is one more chapter in a long human pattern, in which those who stood beside an army become the people a changing political order can least easily protect.
On Friday, a US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups confirmed the same troubling plan from different directions: the Trump administration intends to deport some Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan.
The New York Times reported that more than 150 Afghans could be removed, one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. Dozens are already detained in Louisiana, and the first flight may leave as soon as Monday.
Shawn VanDiver, who leads the group #AfghanEvac, says many of those facing removal fled after the Taliban took power and the United States withdrew in 2021. Some are the brothers and sons of men who fought alongside American forces, families he believes the Taliban has every reason to target.
Because Washington has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban, the deportations would pass through Pakistan, which has itself expelled more than two million Afghans since 2023. The Homeland Security Department declined to confirm future operations, citing operational security, so the reported timing and scale remain unverified.
The plan is part of a wider crackdown that President Trump says is meant to strengthen domestic security. Rights advocates answer that it undermines due process and has made life unsafe for minorities facing profiling.
VanDiver is urging Congress to grant Afghans in the US temporary protected status, which would shield them from removal. No such measure has yet been reported as moving, and for those on the list, the clock may be measured in days.
On Friday, a US official and a coalition of veterans and advocacy groups said the same thing from different directions: the Trump administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan.
The New York Times reported that more than 150 Afghans are expected to be removed, which would make it one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. According to the newspaper, the administration has detained dozens of Afghan immigrants in Louisiana and intends to deport them, with the first flight possibly leaving as soon as Monday.
Shawn VanDiver, who heads the group #AfghanEvac, said many of those facing removal left Afghanistan after the Taliban took power and the United States withdrew in 2021. Some of them, he said, are the brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces. He described them as families the Taliban already has every reason to target. Advocates describe many of those facing removal as vulnerable.
The mechanics of the plan run through a third country. A US official said the deportations would be carried out via Pakistan, because Washington has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban and so cannot arrange removals directly to Afghanistan. Pakistan has its own record here: it has expelled more than 2 million Afghan nationals to Afghanistan since 2023.
The Homeland Security Department said it would not confirm future removal operations, citing operational security. That means the timing and scale reported by the Times have not been confirmed by the department itself.
The move sits inside a broader enforcement campaign. President Trump says his immigration crackdown and deportation drive are meant to improve domestic security. Rights advocates counter that the crackdown violates due process and free speech and has made conditions unsafe for minorities, who have raised concerns about racial profiling.
VanDiver is pressing Congress to act. He urged lawmakers to pass legislation granting Afghans in the US temporary protected status, which would shield them from deportation. For now, no such measure has been reported as moving, and the first flight, if the Times is right, could come within days.
Citazioni salienti
Some facing deportation are brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces, families the Taliban already has every reason to target.— Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac
The department would not confirm future removal operations, citing operational security.— US Homeland Security Department
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Politics & Governance