US deports relative of Afghans who aided American military to Central African Republic

Background: Taliban threats and family ties

The man's brothers are described in court documents as having performed work in support of the US military, a category that has historically included interpreters, logistics staff, and other locally employed civilians. Many such individuals and their relatives applied for US visas after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, fearing retribution for their association with American forces.

The deportation to the Central African Republic rather than to Afghanistan has raised questions among legal advocates about whether the destination country can safely receive a person whose family has been targeted by the Taliban. The Central African Republic has experienced prolonged armed conflict and has limited capacity to absorb third-country deportees, conditions critics say complicates any claim that the removal meets international standards.

Court documents reviewed by The Associated Press indicate that family members in Afghanistan had reported receiving threats tied to the brothers' work for the US military. Whether US authorities weighed those documented threats before ordering the deportation is not addressed in the materials seen by reporters.

Why the Central African Republic?

Reporting by The Associated Press, which has reviewed the court documents, forms the basis for what is publicly known about the case. The documents include references to the threats the family received, but the full record has not been made public, leaving significant details of the removal process undisclosed.

Legal experts note that deportation of relatives of US-affiliated Afghans has been a recurring point of contention in US immigration policy, particularly after the Taliban's return to power in 2021. Advocacy groups have argued that such cases should be reviewed individually before removal, given the risk of onward persecution.

The case also raises questions about diplomatic arrangements between the United States and the Central African Republic. Washington and Bangui have cooperated on migration matters in recent years, and deportations of third-country nationals to the Central African Republic have been documented in prior reporting. The specific bilateral arrangement covering this deportation was not described in the court documents seen by the AP.

Wider policy debate in Washington

The man's current whereabouts in the Central African Republic and his access to legal counsel or consular assistance have not been confirmed in the available reporting. The Associated Press has not published a statement from him or his representatives.

The episode comes amid broader debate in Washington over the fate of Afghans who assisted US forces during the two-decade American military presence in Afghanistan. Congress and successive administrations have established programs intended to resettle such Afghans, but processing backlogs and eligibility disputes have left many applicants in legal limbo for years.

A US official familiar with the case, quoted in the court documents, stated that removals are carried out in accordance with US immigration law. The documents do not record whether the man was given an opportunity to raise fears of persecution in Afghanistan or in the Central African Republic before the deportation was executed.