Judge temporarily blocks deportation of detained Afghans to Afghanistan or Pakistan

The government told the court that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had no flights scheduled to deport Afghan nationals to either country before the end of the week, AP reported.

Advocates said more than 80 detained Afghans had contacted them after being told they could be deported, AP reported. A letter led by Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., and signed by 65 other members of Congress urged the administration not to send them back. Shawn VanDiver of the advocacy group AfghanEvac called the order "a reprieve, not a resolution."

Why it matters: The order pauses removals of detained Afghans while the court considers the case, after members of Congress and advocacy groups pressed the administration to halt them.