A federal judge in New York has temporarily blocked the administration of President Donald Trump from deporting Afghan nationals held in US immigration detention to Afghanistan or Pakistan.
According to the Associated Press, US District Judge Valerie Caproni issued an order on Tuesday directing authorities not to carry out the deportations until Saturday. The ruling followed concerns raised by migrant rights groups and members of Congress over the safety of Afghans facing removal.
Court documents show that the US government had planned to transfer a number of Afghan migrants from detention centres in Louisiana to Pakistan on flights scheduled for Monday. However, government lawyers told the court that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no charter or commercial flights planned to transport Afghan nationals to Afghanistan or Pakistan before the end of the week.
Meanwhile, more than 65 members of the US House of Representatives and Senate have written to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, warning of the potential consequences of deporting vulnerable Afghans.
They said those returned could face torture, persecution and even death.
Migrant rights organisations say more than 80 Afghan nationals have contacted human rights groups after receiving notices from immigration authorities about possible deportation via Pakistan.
Those affected include women, a former police officer, members of religious minorities and people whose family members served in the US military.
