US Administration Deports Afghan Relative of US Military Allies to Central African Republic

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has deported dozens of individuals to the Central African Republic, which included a young Afghan man whose family members assisted the US military, according to statements from his lawyer and various advocacy groups.

Alma David, the lawyer representing the Afghan man in his early 20s, stated that her client had previously been granted protection against deportation to Afghanistan by a US judge due to credible fears of persecution by the Taliban.

Advocacy organisations including AfghanEvac, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights First also verified the deportation.

Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press news agency revealed that the man's family in Afghanistan faced threats from the Taliban due to his brothers aiding the US military.

David noted that one of the man's brothers currently resides in the US and previously served in the Afghan National Army, which partnered with the US military prior to the Taliban seizing power in 2021. Another brother worked as a US-trained pilot and was subsequently killed by the Taliban, she added.

According to The New York Times, which referred to the Afghan man as Khalil, his father and sister also collaborated alongside US forces.

Savi Arvey, director of policy, refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, stated that the deportation flight arrived in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, on Saturday. The flight carried 12 Afghans, eight Iranians, and multiple individuals from Nicaragua and Nepal.

Human Rights First reported that this marked the third deportation flight from the US to the Central African Republic this year.

Amid an aggressive immigration crackdown, the Trump administration has utilized a series of discrete agreements to relocate thousands of individuals to third countries where they maintain no prior connections.

Presently, a US State Department Travel Advisory strongly urges citizens to avoid all travel to the Central African Republic, highlighting severe dangers related to crime, unrest, kidnapping, health concerns, and terrorism.