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Afghan families, advocates say Trump travel ban is a betrayal

By: Hannan Adely
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Fahima was in "a state of desperation," for a U.S. security contractor in Afghanistan and had been trying to reunite with her in New Jersey.
..... President Donald Trump had begun cutting immigration programs and pathways, starting with his first day in office, when he halted refugee admissions. Now, with a new travel ban on 12 countries taking effect, Afghans like Fatima's husband who have been waiting years for resettlement may never have the chance.
..... "I've had sleepless nights since January 20 [2025] and am tired of the constant worry for my family," Fahima said in an interview earlier this year, [2025] asking that hr last name be withheld to protect her family.
..... Trump signed a proclamation on June 4 [2025] barring entry into the United States of foreign nationals from 12 countries. Citing national security and terrorism concerns, Trump said the counties lack appropriate screening and vetting capabilities.
..... But this leaves in the lurch thousands of Afghans who once worked for the United States war effort and have been awaiting resettlement in third counties, like Fahina's husband, who fled to Iran. They fear they will face persecution and danger if forced to return to Afghanistan.
..... Advocates have called their treatment a "betrayal" of U.S. promises to help Afghan allies.
..... They are also raising alarm about shutting down admissions at a time when Taliban rulers have deprived women of basic rights, with the U.N. calling the country the most repressive in the world for women and girls.
..... Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in august 2021, some 200,000 Afghans have arrived in the country. Thousands fled during the frenzied days that followed the fall of Kabul, when the U.S. military tired to evacuate people who supported its mission.
..... But many were left behind.
..... "It is very disheartening that folks have served shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. government as allies, and now the process for reunification has been hindered or halted," said Freshta Taeb, co-lead of the New Jersey Coalition for Afghan Refugees and a board member for the Afghan-American Foundation.
..... The Biden administration vowed to help Afghan who reached the United States to reunite with their family members, but many remain separated, Taeb added, calling it a "betrayal."
..... "The trust that we had t in the government is now broken," said Taeb, a Democratic Party candidate for New Jersey Assembly District 19.
..... Some Afghans who have already settled in the country are also in jeopardy.
..... Three weeks before he singed the travel ban, Trump ended "temporary protected status" for Afghans in the United States. The designation had granted temporary legal status and work authorization to foreign nationals whose country is deemed unsafe for return.
..... When it takes effect in July, [2025] it could leave more than 9,000 Afghans who receive TPS subject to deportation.

A carve-out for some

..... About 200,000 more Afghans were eligible to come though a U.S. program called Operation Enduring Welcome, said Afghanistan, an advocacy group that helps resettle Afghan refugees.
..... They include men and women who worked closely with U.S. diplomats, aid workers and military personnel and "are the reason many Americans came home alive," the group said in a statement. <any have left their homes,sold belongings and fled to third countries awaiting resettlement.
..... "They have already faced multi-layered background checks, medical screenings, and interviews," AfghanEvac wrote. "They are known. they are trusted. And in many cases, they are waiting to be reunited with loved ones already here."
..... Trump's travel ban exempts Afghans who qualify for special immigrant visas because they have served the U.S. government. But it's a "narrow exception" said AfghanEvac, and "a cold comfort to the tens of thousands still in the process."
..... Many do not qualify, reported No One Left Behind, a veteran-led nonprofit advocating for Afghans. It excludes people who fall short of a request year of service because they were injured in the line of duty and members of the Afghan Nation la Army who trained with U.S. forces.
..... The group noted that the Trump administration's plan to eliminate the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts - which is handling planning and logistics for the relocation of Afghans - is likely to hamper the processing of visa applications. The measure was included in a proposed reorganization of the State Department submitted to Congress on May 29. [2025]
.... "Our afghan allies are still counting on us. Let's keep our promise," No One Left Behind said in a statement.

Woman at risk

..... Women's advocates have also voiced dire concerns about the ban, noting the extreme restitutions they face there. The U.N. Human Rights Council has described 'severe discrimination that may amount to gender persecution -a crime against humanity."
..... Daisy Khan, an advocate for women's equality from North Jersey,was part of a delegation that met with Taliban leaders to press for women's rights in April 2022. Now, she said, she is receiving messages of disbelief from advocates and women who will be affected by the ban.
..... "We know people who were counting and banking on this and looking forward to reunifying with families and pursuing their education and making sure their voices and lives don't get snuffed out,' said Khan, executive director of the New York-based Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality.
..... "This proclamation abandons the very women who risked everything working alongside U.S. forces and defending women's rights and human rights," she said. "It gets us nowhere to abandon men and women who believed in the American promise of protection.
..... "We're not just breaking our moral commitment, We are letting the whole world know that Americans abandons its allies when it's convenient," Khan said.
..... She called for the Trump administration to "immediately reverse this proclamations and honor our commitment.
..... The travel ban is set to take effect on June 9. [2025] It will ban foreign nationals from Burma, Chad, the Re pubic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Trump issued partial travel suspensions for foreign nationals from Burundi. Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenisten and Venezuela.

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