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Immigration

US plans to deport Afghans through Pakistan, and 66 lawmakers urge a halt

A US official told CBS News the plan is still in flux, and the Taliban government says it has serious concern.

4 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsrisk to Afghan allies and the lawmakers' objectionCenter1 outletTaliban concern over reported US deportation plansConservative0 outletslittle coverage
Published 3 min readMoney and daily life
Overview

A US official told CBS News that the Trump administration plans to send nearly 200 Afghans in ICE custody to Pakistan first, with Pakistani officials then returning them to Afghanistan. The official said the timing is unclear and the plan could change. One charter flight from Alexandria, Louisiana, was scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3.

In a sworn declaration, an ICE officer wrote that the aircraft would end its trip in Pakistan and a deportee would then travel on to Afghanistan by land. The US has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government. On Monday, 66 members of Congress wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and asked them to cancel the flights.

The letter cites advocacy group reports that at least 150 Afghans were due to be flown out starting Tuesday. The Taliban-led foreign ministry voiced "serious concern" the same day. Advocates warn that Afghans tied to the US war effort could face persecution by the Taliban.

DHS declined to address the flights, citing operational security. A spokesperson said deportees sent to third countries receive notice and assurances. According to his attorney, one Afghan man, Said Mansor Sadat, came off the flight list and left ICE custody after a judge found his detention violated his due process rights.

Key figures
  • nearly 200 Afghans in ICE custody covered by the plan, per a US official — CBS News
  • at least 150 Afghans scheduled for deportation from Tuesday, per advocacy group reports — Al Jazeera English
  • 66 members of Congress who signed the letter to Rubio and Mullin — CBS News
  • at least 25,000 people sent to third countries, per Refugees International and Human Rights First — Al Jazeera English
  • at least 35 countries with agreements to take third-country nationals — Al Jazeera English

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

risk to Afghan allies and the lawmakers' objection

CBS News opens with a US official's account of the plan to send nearly 200 Afghans to Pakistan and onward, then adds the ICE officer's sworn declaration that "The plane's final destination would be Pakistan with further transport onward to Afghanistan." It quotes AfghanEvac's Shawn VanDiver calling the plan "abandonment with a boarding pass" and notes that DHS declined to address the flights. Al Jazeera English leads with the 66 lawmakers' letter, which calls deportation to Afghanistan "a death sentence," and places the flights within a wider record of third-country deportations, citing a tally of at least 25,000 people.

It quotes VanDiver on Afghans stuck for years in legal limbo. The New York Times reports that the administration has arranged a flight to send dozens of Afghans back to Afghanistan despite the risk of Taliban persecution, and says an Afghan woman is among them.

Center1 outlet

Taliban concern over reported US deportation plans

Euronews leads with the Taliban's reaction, headlining "serious concern" over the US plans to deport Afghans via Pakistan. It quotes foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi, who urged the US to take a "responsible and measured approach" and said the Afghan side is ready to interact. The report says more than 150 Afghans would be deported, according to US media reports and an advocacy group, including relatives of those who helped US forces.

It cites AfghanEvac and notes that the UN has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses, while the Taliban have repeated promises that former foes can return safely. It relays that anonymous US officials told The New York Times that Pakistan will oversee the expulsion. It adds that Germany and Turkey have deported Afghans directly and that Pakistan has ordered police to arrest Afghans without visas.

Conservative0 outlets

Outlets on this side gave the story little coverage.

Money and daily life

Nearly 200 Afghans in ICE custody, accused of violating US immigration law, are covered by the plan, a US official told CBS News. The official said the timing is unclear and the plan could change. Some detainees have asked federal courts to block their removal. According to his attorney, one was released after a judge's ruling, and judges denied requests from two others.

All sources: 4 articles from 4 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (1)