U.S. Moves to Deport More Than 150 Afghans, Including Families of U.S. Military Partners and LGBTQ People

Via Pakistan to Afghanistan
First deportation flight could depart as early as November 2
Controversy over risk of persecution under Taliban rule

The Trump Administration is pursuing a plan to deport more than 150 immigrants from Afghanistan. Those targeted for deportation reportedly include family members of U.S. military partners and LGBTQ people, as well as others at risk of persecution under Taliban rule.

According to The New York Times (NYT) on October 30 local time, dozens of Afghans held at detention facilities across the United States were recently transferred to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana.

The United States does not have diplomatic relations with the Taliban government, making it difficult to deport them directly to Afghanistan. The Trump Administration is therefore reportedly pursuing a plan to send them to Pakistan first and then have Pakistani authorities transfer them to Afghanistan.

The first deportation flight is expected to depart as early as November 2. The total number of people targeted for deportation is expected to exceed 150.

If carried out, the move would be one of the largest single deportation operations of Afghans by the United States. About 97 Afghans have been deported from the United States to Afghanistan over the past four years.

The move is expected to spark controversy, particularly because those targeted reportedly include people who could face persecution under Taliban rule. Family members of Afghans who helped the U.S. military and LGBTQ people are also reportedly among those targeted.

U.S. law prohibits deporting people to countries where courts have determined they are likely to face persecution.

The NYT also reported the case of a 47-year-old Afghan-born man who left Afghanistan with his family when he was two and has lived in the United States for more than 40 years. He lost his permanent residency after serving time for a felony in his 20s and married an American man in 2020. He argues that he could face a threat to his life if deported to Afghanistan, where homosexuality is punishable.

Another person targeted for deportation reportedly told a court that his wife, a former Afghan police officer, had helped the U.S. military and was arrested and tortured by the Taliban as a result.

The Trump Administration has recently tightened policies related to Afghans, including restricting their entry into the United States and deporting some to third countries. Pakistan has also reportedly deported or forced more than 2.7 million Afghans to return since 2023.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.