Full Breakdown
U.S. Deportations to the Central African Republic Involve Afghan Ally’s Family
8/30/2026, 8:35:13 AM
Core Event
On a Saturday flight, the United States deported dozens of migrants to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. The manifest included 12 Afghan nationals, eight Iranians, and additional individuals from Nepal and Nicaragua. Among the Afghans was a man in his early twenties who had previously been granted protection from removal to Afghanistan by a U.S. judge because of credible threats from the Taliban toward his family.
Background of Third-Country Deportations
Human-rights advocates say the Trump administration has relied on a series of often-secret agreements to send asylum seekers to countries where they have no established ties. According to advocacy groups, this practice has resulted in thousands of people being transferred to roughly two dozen third countries as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
Individuals Affected
The deported Afghan’s brothers had supported U.S. military operations: one served in the Afghan National Army, and another was a U.S.–trained pilot killed by the Taliban. Their family in Afghanistan reportedly faced Taliban intimidation because of that service, as documented in court filings referenced by the man’s lawyer, Alma David. The man’s sister and father are also said to have worked alongside U.S. forces, according to a report that identified the man only as “Khalil.”
Advocacy Groups’ Response
Savi Arvey, director of policy, refugee and immigrant rights at Human Rights First, confirmed the flight’s composition and noted that it was the second such deportation to the Central African Republic since June. Advocacy organizations AfghanEvac, the American Civil Liberties Union, and Human Rights First all corroborated the deportation and criticized the use of third-country transfers as a legal loophole that undermines asylum protections.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
One rights organization described the Saturday flight as the second deportation to the Central African Republic since June, while another source labeled it the third such flight this year. Neither source provided a complete list of all passengers, leaving the exact number of non-Afghan, non-Iranian migrants on the flight unspecified.
