New York court temporarily halts deportation of Afghans — The Hindu
Federal Judge Valerie Caproni in New York, United States, has temporarily blocked plans by the administration of President Donald Trump to deport Afghan citizens detained in the country to Afghanistan or Pakistan. As The Hindu reports, she issued the ruling on November 3, 2026, following warnings from human rights advocates and dozens of members of the U.S. Congress about the risks of persecution, torture, or death for those deported.
The judge's order will remain in effect until Saturday, November 7, 2026. It requires officials to comply with a government statement filed with the court: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has no charter or commercial flights to deport Afghan citizens to Afghanistan or Pakistan at least until the end of the week.
Concerns of human rights advocates and Congress
On November 2, Democratic California Representative Scott Peters and 65 other members of the House of Representatives and Senate sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The lawmakers stated that returning vulnerable people could expose them to persecution, torture, or death.
Human rights organizations also warned of possible retaliation by the Taliban. According to Human Rights First and AfghanEvac, more than 80 detained Afghans contacted them after notifications from ICE. They include women, a police officer, members of religious minorities, and people whose relatives served in the U.S. military. Most of them, the organizations said, left Afghanistan because of persecution and have no legal representation.
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Plans for flights through Pakistan
According to court documents reviewed by the Associated Press, the United States planned to deport Afghan immigrants on flights from Louisiana to Pakistan. ICE detention and processing centers are located in the state.
Before the court order was signed, Afghan Foreign Ministry deputy spokesperson Zia Ahmad Takal expressed serious concern over reports of U.S. plans to transfer Afghans to Pakistan. He urged U.S. authorities to make decisions taking into account these people's rights and lawful claims.
Human Rights First's director of refugee and immigrant rights policy, Savitri Arvey, said that people returned to Afghanistan face arbitrary detention, executions, public flogging, and retaliatory violence. According to her, women and girls in Afghanistan also face systematic restrictions on access to education, employment, and the ability to speak publicly.
