US Court Blocks Afghan Deportation Plan
A United States federal court has blocked the Trump administration’s plans to deport scores of Afghan immigrants back to Afghanistan, a move advocacy groups said could endanger their lives. The group would have travelled home through Pakistan, and the ruling stops any such removal this week.
Judge Valerie Caproni of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Tuesday that the United States could not send any Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week. Dawn reported the ruling on Thursday. The ruling came after the government told the court that it had no flights planned.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deputy Assistant Director Christopher George told the court there were “no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights” to deport Afghan nationals in the US to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week, according to court documents.
Who the Afghan deportation plan targeted
US media reported last week that more than 150 Afghans in the US would be deported via Pakistan to Afghanistan as part of President Donald Trump’s latest immigration crackdown. Among them were relatives of Afghans who assisted the US military before the fall of Kabul, according to AfghanEvac, a group that helps former Afghan allies.
The detail matters. These were not strangers to the American effort in Afghanistan. They were family members of people who worked with US forces, and advocacy groups warned that sending them back could put their lives at risk.
“A week ago, there was a plane. Today, the government told a federal judge there isn’t one,” AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement after Tuesday’s ruling. “That didn’t happen by accident. Veterans, advocates, 66 members of Congress, and thousands of Americans got this flight stopped,” he added.
The campaign behind the ruling was broad. Veterans who served alongside Afghan allies, members of Congress, and thousands of members of the public pressed the government to halt the flight.
The Taliban response and the risks
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities voiced “serious concern” on Monday over the reported deportation plans. After regaining power in 2021, the Taliban announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces, and they have repeated promises this year that former foes could safely return. But the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and abuses.
That gap between promise and practice sits at the heart of the case. Advocacy groups warn that former allies sent back would be known in their communities as helpers of the Americans.
Pakistan is part of the story too. The deportation route ran through Pakistan, and Feature Pakistan has reported that Pakistan and Britain held counter-terrorism talks that flagged the Afghan threat.
What the ruling does and does not do
The ruling blocks deportations to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week, but it does not settle what will happen to the group. The government could seek to deport them later, or change its plans, and further hearings could follow. The plan is one of several Trump administration actions being tested in public debate, alongside US sanctions on Indian companies over an Iran shadow fleet.
For the Afghans named in the plan, the ruling buys time. Their lawyers can now press their cases, and the government must show its plans in court.
The case also tests the limits of the current immigration crackdown, where the courts have pushed back on removals that skipped the proper process.
Migration rules are tightening elsewhere too. Feature Pakistan reported that New Zealand removed occupations from its Green List, and that Pakistan cut blue passports to 49,000 from 74,000.
What happens next
Advocates will watch whether the government schedules new flights after this week. The 66 members of Congress who joined the campaign are likely to keep up the pressure.
Frequently asked questions
What did the US court rule?
Judge Valerie Caproni of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the United States could not send any Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week.
How many Afghans were due to be deported?
US media reported last week that more than 150 Afghans in the US would be deported via Pakistan to Afghanistan. Among them were relatives of Afghans who assisted the US military before the fall of Kabul.
What did the government tell the court?
ICE Deputy Assistant Director Christopher George told the court there were “no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights” to deport Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week.
Why do advocacy groups say deportation would be dangerous?
They warn that former allies and their families could face harm on return. The Taliban announced a general amnesty in 2021, but the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions, and abuses.
What role did campaigners play?
Veterans, advocates, 66 members of Congress, and thousands of members of the public pressed the government to halt the flight. AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said their efforts “got this flight stopped”.
