Khalil, a 24-year-old Afghan man whose brother served alongside U.S. forces in the Afghan Army and another brother died fighting the Taliban as a pilot, was deported to the Central African Republic despite having been granted 'withholding of removal' by a U.S. immigration judge in August 2025. His family in Afghanistan had received threats from the Taliban because of his brothers' work supporting the U.S. military, according to court documents. The flight that landed in Bangui also carried 12 Afghans, eight Iranians, and several people from Nepal and Nicaragua; it was the second such flight to the Central African Republic since June, when two dozen migrants including an Iranian woman facing persecution were deported there. He crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in 2024 and was held in ICE custody throughout his time in the U.S.; he did not qualify for asylum due to a Biden-era policy requiring migrants to seek protection in other countries first. A retired Marine colonel who supervised his brother said he fears Khalil could be killed if eventually returned to Afghanistan.