A US federal judge has temporarily blocked Trump administration plans to deport Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan or Pakistan, after advocates and lawmakers warned that the deportees could face risks to their lives. The ruling was issued by Judge Valerie Caproni of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to Dawn, which reported that she ruled the US could not send any Afghan nationals to either country this week.
The Afghan deportations blocked by the order were reportedly planned for Monday on flights from Louisiana, where ICE has detention and processing facilities, to Pakistan, according to court documents obtained by the Associated Press and reported by The Hindu. In a court filing, ICE Deputy Assistant Director Christopher George told the court there were no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights to deport Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan this week, according to Dawn.
The Hindu reported that more than 80 detained Afghans contacted advocates and attorneys after ICE notified them they could be deported this week via Pakistan. Dawn reported that more than 150 Afghans would be deported. The two figures have not been reconciled.
A letter led by California Democratic Representative Scott Peters and signed by 65 other House and Senate members was sent Monday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, according to The Hindu. The letter warned that deportees could face persecution, torture or death.
The administration has used third-country deportations when removal to a person’s country of origin was not possible. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has no formal diplomatic relations with the US. After regaining power in 2021, the Taliban announced a general amnesty for Afghans who worked with Western-backed forces, but the United Nations has recorded reports of extrajudicial killings, detentions and abuses.
Judge Caproni’s order directs officials to adhere to the government’s statement that no such flights were planned until at least the end of the week. The order expires on Saturday, November 7, 2026. AfghanEvac said it would keep tracking flights. It is not yet reported whether the court will extend or lift the block.
The key facts rely on two outlets, both drawing on a court filing and reporting, and no independent second source for the flight plans has been identified. No response from ICE, the Department of Homeland Security or the Trump administration beyond the court filing is reported, and neither Rubio nor Mullin has responded to the lawmakers’ letter. The Pakistani government has not commented on arrangements with the US, which advocates say are unclear.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.