US Judge Pauses Afghan Deportations Amid Warnings of Danger

A federal judge in New York has temporarily blocked the deportation of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan after US lawmakers and rights organizations warned that those facing removal could be endangered. Judge Valerie Caproni of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that such deportations cannot proceed until November 7.

The order follows media reports that US authorities were preparing to send 150 Afghans from Louisiana to Pakistan, with Afghanistan as their eventual destination. Christopher George, deputy assistant director for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said there were no scheduled or confirmed charter or commercial flights for such operations this week. He did not address possible plans beyond that period.

The United States has no formal diplomatic relationship with the Taliban, preventing it from arranging the detainees' deportation directly to Afghanistan. Under the reported plan, Pakistan would receive them and then return them to their home country. Pakistani authorities did not answer RFE/RL's requests for comment by telephone and email. The State Department also did not confirm the reported removals, saying on November 2 that countries must be able to administer their borders and immigration systems to protect their citizens.

In a November 2 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, California Democratic Representative Scott Peters warned that the Afghans could face persecution, torture or death. Another 65 members of the House and Senate signed the letter. They called for officials to cancel deportation flights carrying Afghans or Iranians, whether directly to their countries or through another destination.

Immigrant advocacy organizations said those reportedly targeted for removal include relatives of people who helped US forces before the American military withdrawal in 2021. AfghanEvac, a California-based organization, had warned that more than 150 Afghans could leave Louisiana aboard a charter flight as early as November 2. Its president, Shawn VanDiver, said two women were among the passengers and that the aircraft would land in Islamabad. He said he did not know the terms of any arrangement between Washington and Islamabad.

Refugees International called for the reported flight and future flights to be halted, warning that the Afghans faced targeted persecution by the Taliban. In a November 1 statement, the organization's director, Yael Schacher, said details of the Pakistan arrangement were unclear, but emphasized that Pakistan had carried out mass forced returns to Afghanistan.

The Taliban-led Foreign Ministry responded on November 2 by urging Washington to respect the rights of Afghans facing deportation. It said Kabul was prepared to engage constructively with the United States while considering both sides' concerns. In an apparent reference to Pakistan, it also urged third countries against bargaining over Afghan nationals in exchange for concessions.

The dispute comes as governments press Afghans who fled their country to return. Pakistan has sent approximately 2.5 million Afghans back since 2023. Thousands remain there awaiting resettlement elsewhere after fleeing the Taliban's August 2021 takeover, fearing retaliation or restrictions on civil liberties. The United Nations has repeatedly warned about the consequences of restrictions on girls' education, reporting to the Security Council in June that approximately 3.8 million Afghan girls aged 7 to 18 were out of school.