Key takeaways
- The Trump administration is preparing a charter flight to Pakistan carrying dozens of Afghans, and The New York Times reported that more than 150 people are expected to be removed in total.
- The first flight could leave as soon as Monday, November 2, 2026, according to The New York Times and to rights advocates and detainees' families who spoke to NBC News.
- Washington has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban and cannot arrange removals directly to Afghanistan, so the route runs through Pakistan, which is expected to expel the group across the border.
- The administration has not publicly announced the flight, and the details come from unnamed officials, court filings and advocacy groups, so the final size, timing and manifest remain unconfirmed.
The Trump administration is preparing a deportation flight that would carry dozens of Afghan immigrants and asylum seekers from the United States to Pakistan, a senior administration official told NBC News on October 30, 2026. Critics say Pakistan is widely expected to return the group to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The flight has not been publicly announced and could depart as early as Monday, November 2, 2026.
The plan matters beyond US immigration policy because it routes removals through a state that is in open hostility with the Taliban authorities, and it tests how far Washington will go to remove Afghans without a direct channel to Kabul.
What is known about the Afghan deportation flight?
According to Reuters, citing The New York Times, more than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported in what would be one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. The Times reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had detained dozens of Afghans in Louisiana and that the first flight was expected as soon as Monday.
The Global Refuge advocacy group, in a statement, said that ICE had moved Afghan detainees from facilities across the country to Louisiana. It added that three US officials told the Times the removal is, in effect, a removal to Afghanistan, and that detainees were told the same.
The senior official quoted by NBC News said the group could include people with final deportation orders, people refused asylum and people whose Temporary Protected Status (TPS) was ended by the administration. TPS is a US designation that shields nationals of certain countries from removal. The same official said Pakistan’s government would have to know of and approve a US charter landing, though it is unclear what formal agreement exists.
Why is Pakistan the route for deportation to Afghanistan?
Reuters reported that Washington cannot arrange deportations directly to Afghanistan because it has no diplomatic ties with the Taliban, who took power as US forces withdrew in 2021. Routing the flight to Pakistan is intended to solve that logistical problem, according to The Source.
Pakistan has a long record of expelling Afghans. Reuters said Islamabad has pushed more than 2 million Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan since 2023, after a crackdown on undocumented foreigners that NBC News dates to 2023.
The destination country is also in a military confrontation with the Taliban government. The Council on Foreign Relations conflict tracker says tensions over Taliban support for the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) turned into open conflict in October 2025, when Pakistan launched air strikes. It adds that mediation by Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and China has not produced a lasting settlement.
What are the legal and humanitarian objections?
Advocates argue that the people on the manifest face particular danger. Shawn VanDiver, founder of the veterans’ coalition AfghanEvac, said some of those facing removal are “brothers and sons of men who served alongside US forces”. The Times also reported that at least one gay man is among the detainees.
Attorneys and refugee aid groups quoted by The Independent described the Pakistan routing as a legally dubious workaround. They pointed to similar arrangements with other third countries, including Kuwait and Qatar. Democratic senator Chris Coons said the plan amounted to sending Afghans back to Taliban rule, according to Common Dreams.
The administration’s stance, as relayed by the senior official to NBC News, is that the individuals have no lawful status in the United States. Reuters noted that President Donald Trump says his immigration crackdown is meant to improve domestic security. Supporters of the policy argue that removal orders should be enforced, particularly where criminal convictions are involved, according to The Source. That report did not specify how many of the detainees have convictions.
What does this deportation mean for US-Pakistan and Taliban ties?
The plan places Pakistan in a delicate position. Islamabad would be asked to receive a US charter, then carry out a border expulsion that Kabul’s authorities would have to accept, while the two governments remain adversaries. No official Pakistani or Taliban reaction was found in reporting available on October 31, 2026.
For Washington, the arrangement is also a signal about engagement. Removing Afghans through a third country avoids any recognition of the Taliban, yet it effectively depends on the Taliban’s acceptance of returnees at the border. Analysts quoted by NBC News said the Taliban would be likely to view Afghans flown from the United States with suspicion.
The timing is politically sensitive. IBTimes noted that the flight would leave a day before the US midterm elections, while adding that nothing indicates the date was chosen because of the vote.
What to watch
- November 2, 2026: whether the charter departs Louisiana as reported, and how many Afghans are aboard.
- Court filings: emergency motions by detainees’ lawyers seeking stays of removal, which could delay or shrink the flight.
- Pakistani and Taliban statements: any confirmation of landing approval, or of how returnees will be handled at the border.
- Congress: whether lawmakers act on AfghanEvac’s call for legislation granting Afghans in the United States temporary protected status.
- Follow-on flights: whether the administration repeats the Pakistan route, which advocates describe as a precedent.
Frequently asked questions
Is the US deporting Afghans to Pakistan?
According to The New York Times and NBC News, the Trump administration is preparing a charter flight from Louisiana carrying Afghans to Pakistan, possibly from November 2, 2026. The administration has not publicly announced it, so the passenger numbers, timing and legal basis rest on unnamed officials, court filings and advocates.
Why can't the US deport Afghans directly to Afghanistan?
The United States has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban, who have governed Afghanistan since US forces withdrew in 2021. Reuters and The New York Times report that this prevents Washington from arranging removals directly, which is why the plan sends Afghans to Pakistan, expected to expel them across the border.
How many Afghans could be deported?
The New York Times, as relayed by Reuters, reported that more than 150 Afghan immigrants are expected to be deported, which would make it one of the largest single expulsions of Afghans. NBC News cited a senior official describing the first flight as carrying dozens, so the final figure is unconfirmed.
Sources
- Trump administration set to deport Afghan refugees to Pakistan, despite risk they'll be returned to Taliban (NBC News)
- Trump administration plans to deport some Afghan immigrants to Afghanistan (Reuters via The Star)
- Global Refuge Disturbed by Plan to Deport Afghans to the Taliban by Way of Pakistan
- Trump plans to deport dozens of Afghans back to the Taliban in first large-scale removal flight (The Independent via Yahoo)
- Trump Plan to Deport Afghan Immigrants, Refugees Condemned as 'Sickening' (Common Dreams)
- Conflict Between Afghanistan and Pakistan (Council on Foreign Relations)
- Trump Plans To Deport Relatives of Afghans Who Helped US Troops Back To Taliban-Ruled Afghanistan (IBTimes UK)
- The Source: Trump Plans to Deport Over 150 Afghans Through Pakistan
Top image: Bilalnaqeeb / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
This article was produced by the Intelligence Report Desk. Sources are linked below.
