Judge temporarily blocks deporting Afghans to Pakistan or Afghanistan
A federal judge in New York has ordered immigration officials not to deport Afghans to Pakistan or Afghanistan for now, the court's order shows. The order lasts until late Saturday night. The government agreed to it, and it holds officials to their own word that no such flights are planned this week.
Judge Valerie Caproni of the federal court in Manhattan issued a short-term order on Tuesday about plans to deport Afghans, the order shows. It tells immigration officials to keep the government's word that no flights are planned to send Afghans to Afghanistan or Pakistan. Bloomberg Law and The Washington Sun say the order blocks those deportations.
The order took effect right away. It ends one minute before midnight on Saturday, November 7, unless the court extends or ends it.
The government agreed to the order, the order says. At a court conference on Tuesday, a government lawyer said an ICE official had said the agency had “no planned or confirmed chartered or commercial flights” for those deportations “at least through the end of this week.” The lawyer also said ICE sets up such flights weeks ahead.
Project Rousseau, a New York City group that gives immigrants legal help, sued the Trump administration on Monday, The Washington Sun reports. The group alleged that some of its Afghan clients could be sent away as early as Tuesday.
“Even if the removal from Pakistan to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan does happen, it will be a transfer between two warring parties,” the complaint states, according to The Washington Sun. “This creates additional grave risk of persecution, torture, and death.”
Bloomberg Law says the order protects dozens of Afghan immigrants, including women and families of American allies. The administration had been making plans to send Afghans to Pakistan as early as Tuesday, Bloomberg Law reports, citing court filings and lawyers. Advocates expected the flight to leave from Louisiana, it says.
The order does not settle the lawsuit. The government must answer the group's request by Thursday morning, the order says.
The Trump administration had been preparing to deport dozens of Afghans to Pakistan, as reported earlier.
What we know: A judge has ordered officials to hold off on deporting Afghans to Pakistan or Afghanistan until late Saturday night.
What we don't: Whether the court will extend the order, and whether any deportation flight will be planned after it ends.
Where outlets agree The court order, as Bloomberg Law and The Washington Sun describe it, temporarily stops officials from deporting Afghans to Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Where they differ Bloomberg Law says the bar lasts at least until Saturday and The Washington Sun says until at least Sunday, while the order itself says it ends late Saturday night.