US lawmakers ask Trump administration to stop deportation of Afghans
At least 150 Afghans are facing deportation to Pakistan and on to Afghanistan.
A group of 66 lawmakers in the United States has written to the administration of President Donald Trump asking it to halt a planned mass deportation of Afghans, including some who worked alongside coalition forces in Afghanistan before the military withdrawal in 2021.
In Monday’s letter, the lawmakers cited advocacy group reports that at least 150 Afghans were scheduled to be deported from Tuesday – flown from detention facilities in Louisiana to Pakistan.
The Associated Press news agency also reported that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials had said in court filings that they eventually planned on returning some of the Afghans to their home country.
Pakistan has deported millions of Afghans to Afghanistan in recent years, as relations with the Taliban have deteriorated.