KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United States has deported dozens of migrants, including 12 Afghan nationals, to the Central African Republic.
According to The Associated Press, the migrants arrived on Saturday in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic.
Savi Arvey of Human Rights First said the deportation flight included 12 Afghans, eight Iranians, and several migrants from Nepal and Nicaragua.
Among those deported was an Afghan man in his early 20s whose brothers had worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. His lawyer, Alma David, said a U.S. judge had previously prevented his deportation to Afghanistan because of fears that he could face persecution by the Taliban.
According to court documents reviewed by AP, the young man’s family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of his brothers’ work in support of the U.S. military. One of his brothers lives in the United States and previously served in the Afghan National Army, while another was a U.S.-trained pilot who was killed by the Taliban.
Afghan refugee advocacy organizations, particularly groups involved in evacuating former Afghan military personnel and U.S.-affiliated Afghans, continue to urge Washington to protect those who risked their lives in support of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021.
The latest findings come amid broader shifts in U.S. immigration and foreign policy under President Donald Trump. Shortly after taking office in January 2025, Trump signed an executive order pausing refugee admissions to the United States, including for Afghans who had assisted American forces.
In November 2025, following a shooting in Washington involving an Afghan national who killed a US National Guard member and injured another, Trump ordered a halt to all Afghan settlement programs and visa issuance for Afghan passport holders. He also directed a full review of Afghans admitted to the United States during the Biden administration.
These policy changes affected thousands of Afghans awaiting relocation to the United States from third countries, including former interpreters, contractors, and civil society workers who supported U.S. operations over two decades. Many remain at risk under Taliban rule or are stranded in neighboring countries with limited legal protections.
Refugee advocacy groups, US lawmakers, UN officials, and human rights organizations have expressed concern over the US approach, urging the administration to continue offering protection to Afghans at risk and reverse policies that block their resettlement to the United States.
Against this backdrop, a new poll indicates that a large majority of Americans support admitting Afghans who previously worked alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan. AfghanEvac, a coalition of U.S. military veterans advocating for Afghan refugees, said in a poll published on August 29 that 72 percent of Americans support admitting Afghan allies.
The figure rose from 52 percent after respondents were informed about the role Afghan partners played in supporting the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
