The Trump administration has deported an Afghan man who had been granted protection from removal to Afghanistan to the Central African Republic, according to his lawyer and immigrant rights groups.
The man, who is in his early 20s, was protected by a US judge from deportation to Afghanistan because of fears he could be persecuted by the Taliban, his lawyer, Alma David, said.
His deportation was confirmed by AfghanEvac, a US-based organisation that assists Afghans who worked with the United States, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights First.
The man’s family had ties to the US military. One of his brothers served in the former Afghan National Army, which worked alongside US forces before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Another brother was a US-trained pilot who was later killed by the Taliban, David said.
Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press said other members of the family, including the man’s father and sister, had also worked alongside US forces.
The man, identified as Khalil by The New York Times, was among passengers on a deportation flight that arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on Saturday.
The flight carried 12 Afghans and eight Iranians, as well as several people from Nepal and Nicaragua, according to Savi Arvey, director of policy, refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First.
It was the third US deportation flight to the Central African Republic this year, according to the organisation.
The case highlights the Trump administration’s growing use of third countries to receive people deported from the United States who have no apparent connection to those countries.
Under agreements reached with foreign governments, the administration has increasingly transferred migrants to countries other than their own as it expands its immigration enforcement campaign.
The Central African Republic is itself considered a high-risk destination. The US State Department advises Americans not to travel there because of the risks of unrest, crime, kidnapping, health threats and terrorism.
The latest deportation also raises questions about what happens to people whom US courts have determined cannot safely be returned to their countries of origin.
In the Afghan man’s case, a judge had determined that returning him to Afghanistan posed a risk of persecution. He was nevertheless removed from the United States to another country thousands of kilometres away.
The man’s deportation comes as the Trump administration continues to pursue an aggressive immigration policy that has included increased arrests, expedited removals and agreements with countries willing to accept deportees from elsewhere.
Rights groups have raised concerns about whether people sent to third countries have meaningful opportunities to challenge their removal or establish whether they will be safe after arrival.
