U.S. plans to deport Afghans back to their home country through Pakistan, documents show

The U.S. administration plans to deport Afghans detained in the country back to their home country via Pakistan, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press. This move, which advocates groups say could endanger lives, could result in the deportees facing retaliation from the Taliban. Thousands of Afghans fled persecution and supported U.S. military and aid groups in Afghanistan, fearing for their lives.

The U.S. intends to deport Afghans as early as Monday on flights from Louisiana to Pakistan, where the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has detention and processing facilities. The plan was first reported by Bloomberg and later confirmed by the New York Times. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security declined to comment on future immigrant-removal operations, citing operational security and personnel safety.

Meanwhile, legal proceedings in Virginia and Oklahoma revealed that Afghan immigrants were scheduled for deportation to Afghanistan, with a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirming the deportations in sealed court documents. Human rights and Democratic groups have condemned the plan, arguing that it betrays a promise made to Afghan allies who supported American forces.