Taliban Denounces Alleged U.S. Plan to Deport 150 Afghans Home

The Taliban junta in Afghanistan issued a statement on Monday complaining about reported U.S. plans to deport a large number of Afghan nationals via Pakistan.

The Taliban claimed it was prepared to “engage constructively” with the United States to avoid the mass deportation of Afghans, especially if the plan involves Pakistan, which currently has tense relations with the Islamist regime in Kabul.

The Associated Press reported Friday on court documents that indicated the Trump administration is planning to deport Afghan nationals who have been detained in the United States back to Afghanistan via Pakistan. 

The program was supposed to begin as early as Monday of this week, with flights to Pakistan leaving from Louisiana, where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) has detention facilities.

The left-wing newspaper New York Times (NYT) reported on Friday that “more than 150 Afghan immigrants were expected to be deported,” which would constitute “one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans” since the Taliban takeover in 2021.

The detainees were arrested for a variety of offenses, not all related to violating U.S. immigration law, and not all of them had fled Afghanistan recently.

The NYT, for example, talked to a 47-year-old detainee named Mohammad who came to America with his family in 1981, served jail time for two felony offenses in his 20s, lost his permanent residency, and was finally arrested last year after living illegally in the United States for two decades.

Mohammad allegedly identifies as gay and “married an American man in 2020,” so he fears he will be killed if he is returned to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Another man interviewed by the NYT admitted he tried to enter the U.S. illegally in 2024 and was arrested by the Border Patrol. He applied for political asylum, but his application was denied.

“The group includes a mix of people who came to the United States legally and illegally, and some with criminal records,” the NYT said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said ICE “does not comment on prospective removal operations, including flight schedules, passenger manifests, destinations, or individual case details,” but lawyers for the ICE detainees shared emails and other documents presented to their clients that indicated they faced imminent deportation.

The plan angered pro-immigrant groups and advocates for Afghans who fled the Taliban, who said the deportees had good reason to fear persecution, and possibly execution, if they were handed over to the regime in Kabul.

“It is beyond egregious that this administration plans to carry out an unprecedented mass deportation flight of Afghans, forcibly sending them through Pakistan and into the hands of the Taliban,” policy director Savitri Arvey of Human Rights First told the AP.

Since the U.S. does not have formal diplomatic relations with the Taliban regime, the deportation plan reportedly called for the detainees to be sent to Pakistan first. The Pakistani embassy in Washington declined to comment on the program.

The Taliban’s foreign ministry expressed “serious concern” over the deportation plan on Monday.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan considers the protection of the rights of all its citizens its responsibility and emphasizes that Afghan nationals, wherever they may be, must be treated in accordance with applicable laws, established principles, and respect for human dignity,” the foreign ministry said, overlooking the fact that none of these people want to return to Afghanistan because they fear the Taliban will kill them.

The Taliban called on the United States to “act responsibly and prudently in this matter and to ensure that any decisions or measures concerning Afghan nationals are taken on the basis of clear bilateral understanding, necessary coordination, and due consideration of the rights and legitimate aspirations of the individuals concerned.”

“The Afghan side stands ready to engage constructively, taking into account the existing realities and legitimate concerns of both sides, through practical cooperation based on mutual understanding,” the foreign ministry pledged.

“Furthermore, third countries should not bargain over the fate of another country’s nationals in pursuit of temporary and limited concessions or other considerations, nor should their decisions and actions undermine human dignity, rights, and recognized ethical and humanitarian standards,” the Taliban added.

On Tuesday, the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a temporary order blocking the deportation flight.

Judge Valerie Caproni’s order, which the NYT noted was “sparse” in its reasoning, said no deportation flights could leave the U.S. until Sunday.

Other judges have ordered longer delays for the deportation of individual Afghans, evidently including “Mohammed,” the man interviewed last week by the NYT. Another blocked deportation included a female Christian journalist who worked for a radio station in Afghanistan before the Taliban takeover. One other woman was reportedly among the 150 Afghans who would have been sent to Pakistan from Louisiana.