A group of 66 US lawmakers has written to the administration of President Donald Trump asking it to halt a planned mass deportation of Afghans, including individuals who worked alongside coalition forces before the 2021 military withdrawal. In a letter sent on Monday, lawmakers cited advocacy group reports indicating that at least 150 Afghans were scheduled for deportation starting Tuesday via flights from detention facilities in Louisiana to Pakistan.
Third-Country Deportations and Legal Concerns
Court filings from Department of Homeland Security officials previously stated an intention to eventually return some of the Afghans to their home country. Because the US lacks diplomatic relations with Afghanistan, which has been governed by the Taliban since August 2021, the administration planned third-country transfers. Lawmakers warned in their letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin that sending individuals back to a dangerous nation where they face targeting for suspected US support amounts to a death sentence.
The Trump administration has established agreements with at least 35 countries to accept third-country nationals amidst an immigration crackdown. Critics argue the practice undermines global humanitarian norms, noting that deportees often arrive in nations with poor human rights records or severe security risks. Nonprofits Refugees International and Human Rights First estimated that the administration has forcibly sent at least 25,000 people to third countries, with Human Rights First confirming a flight carrying Afghans from Alexandria, Louisiana, to Pakistan was slated for Tuesday. Advocates added that the deportation group may also contain a small number of Iranians.
Uncertainty for Afghans in the US
Shawn VanDiver, founder and president of the AfghanEvac advocacy group, stated that most scheduled deportees lacked proper opportunities to fight their removal in court because they did not have legal representation. VanDiver noted speaking with a former Afghan government police officer who feared for his life, alongside others connected to the former government or US forces who would face danger if returned.
President Trump has sought to terminate resettlement programmes initiated by former President Joe Biden following the evacuation of over 120,000 Afghans in 2021. While some evacuees received initial humanitarian parole and later Temporary Protected Status in 2022, many remain stuck due to a backlogged immigration system. VanDiver explained that these individuals have spent five years waiting for permanent status and green cards.
The Trump administration has enforced record-low global asylum quotas, though it provided sanctuary exceptions for white South African Afrikaners. Furthermore, President Trump halted Afghan application processing and enacted a blanket visa ban following a November 2025 shooting involving an Afghan man in Washington, DC, though these policies faced legal challenges. VanDiver and other advocates continue pushing for new bipartisan legislation to secure legal protections for Afghans in the US.
