A federal judge in New York temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s administration’s plans to deport Afghans detained in the United States to Afghanistan or Pakistan on Tuesday, after advocates and dozens of members of Congress warned that their lives would be at risk.
Judge Valerie Caproni’s order expires Saturday, with no deportations planned before then.
A letter led by California Democratic Rep. Scott Peters and signed by 65 other members of the House and Senate said they were “extremely concerned that sending vulnerable people” would expose them to “persecution, torture, or even death.” The letter was sent Monday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Immigrant rights organizations have also warned that those deported could face retaliation from the Taliban.
Thousands of Afghans fled persecution and feared for their lives after helping the U.S. military and aid groups in Afghanistan.
The government’s lawyer told the court at a hearing Tuesday that Christopher George, deputy assistant director for Enforcement and Removal Operations in Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said that ICE “had no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights for the purposes of deporting Afghan nationals” to Afghanistan or to Pakistan, “at least to the end of this week.” The government also said ICE books these flights weeks in advance.
