Afghan man’s brother fought the Taliban as a US-allied pilot and was killed. But that didn’t stop ICE from deporting him to Africa

According to CBS News, an Afghan man identified as Khalil was among those sent to the Central African Republic on a recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement flight, his lawyer and brother said. Legal documents indicate another of Khalil’s brothers fought the Taliban as a pilot and was killed during the war. Khalil’s family also helped American forces fight the Taliban, according to his lawyer and a Marine colonel who knew the family.

Khalil, who is 24, crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally in 2024 after traveling across Latin America, his immigration lawyer said. ICE held him in custody during his entire time in the United States. 

He came to join his brothers, one of whom was brought to the United States in 2014 because of his work alongside American military forces while serving in the Afghan Army, the lawyer said. In August 2025, while still detained, an immigration judge granted Khalil a protection known as withholding of removal after finding he could face persecution in Afghanistan, legal documents show. 

Documents show three ICE flights dropped off more than 100 people in eight African countries

He did not receive asylum because of a Biden-era policy that disqualified people who did not seek protection in other countries before reaching the United States, the documents indicate. That protection barred ICE from sending him back to Afghanistan, but did not stop a third-country removal.

Internal U.S. government documents obtained by CBS News show that over a 10-day period, the Trump administration sent more than 100 deportees from Afghanistan, Cuba, Nicaragua, and other nations to eight countries in Africa. 

Three ICE flights dropped off dozens of men and women in Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Liberia, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone, the documents show.

None of the deportees were from the countries where they were sent, according to the documents. The flights also included people from Iran, Nepal, Turkey, and Venezuela, as well as African detainees who were not from the nations that received them. Newly released emails have separately described ICE work with Iran on deportations. The latest of the three flights dropped off detainees in Sierra Leone and the Central African Republic.

A State Department travel advisory lists the Central African Republic at Level 4 and warns Americans to avoid travel there because of widespread violence and insecurity. The country has longstanding armed conflict and the presence of Russian mercenaries.

 Some of those sent to Africa have criminal records in addition to immigration violations, the documents indicate, while many others have no criminal history beyond entering the United States illegally or lacking proper papers.

More than 30 countries have agreed to take third-country deportees from the United States, the documents show. A growing number of those deals involve African nations. Some countries, such as Ghana and Sierra Leone, appear to have agreed only to accept people from other parts of Africa, while Eswatini, the Central African Republic, and Liberia have received people from Latin America, Europe, and Asia.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement: “If an illegal alien chooses to file a claim in court refusing to go to their home country, we are required by law to find a safe and secure nation for them to go to. If an illegal alien chooses to go home, we will give them a free flight home and a $3,000 check. The choice is theirs.” 

A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on private diplomatic communications or on the leaked documents and said implementing the Trump administration’s immigration policies is a top priority.

Alma David, Khalil’s immigration lawyer, said: “The goal is to obliterate the global refugee protection system, and his case should serve as a warning of the unconscionable consequences.” ICE has also said it will stop reporting detainee deaths that occur within 30 days of release.

Marine Col. Zachary Schmidt, who supervised one of Khalil’s brothers during a deployment to Afghanistan, said he is worried about Khalil’s safety in the Central African Republic and fears he could eventually be sent to Afghanistan. He also said Taliban militants have threatened the family.

“It is my belief that if Khalil gets sent back to Afghanistan, that he will be killed,” Schmidt told CBS News. He added, “The deal is that if you help us, and help rebuild your country, we will look out for you. We’ll help you and your family. We have to keep that promise.”