Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Nearly 1,660 Afghan refugees who were cleared to resettle in the United States are facing sudden flight cancellations under President Donald Trump’s order suspending U.S. refugee programs. The group includes families of active-duty U.S. military personnel, unaccompanied minors, and Afghans at risk of Taliban retribution because of their roles supporting the U.S.-backed Afghan government, according to a U.S. official and refugee advocate Shawn VanDiver.
This decision also leaves thousands of other Afghans, previously approved for resettlement, in limbo. Many remain stranded in Afghanistan or neighboring Pakistan without clear updates on their status. VanDiver, head of the #AfghanEvac coalition of U.S. veterans and advocacy groups, expressed alarm over the situation. “Afghans and advocates are panicking. My phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” he said. “We warned them this could happen, but they did it anyway.”
The suspension is part of an executive order signed by Trump shortly after his second inauguration, pausing U.S. refugee resettlement programs for at least four months. The White House defended the move, stating that communities were being strained by “large and unsustainable populations of migrants.” Critics, however, say the decision abandons America’s allies.
Among those affected are nearly 200 family members of Afghan-American active-duty military personnel, unaccompanied children waiting to reunite with relatives in the U.S., and Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or contractors during the two-decade conflict. Minority Democrats on the House Foreign Relations Committee condemned the action, calling it “shameful” and accusing the administration of leaving vetted allies at the mercy of the Taliban.
Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, nearly 200,000 Afghans have been resettled in the U.S. under former President Joe Biden’s administration. Advocates warn that halting these efforts not only breaks promises made to Afghan partners but also puts lives in immediate danger.
VanDiver and others have called on the Trump administration to reconsider the suspension, emphasizing the devastating consequences for those affected. “We know this means unaccompanied children, Afghan partner forces, and families of U.S. service members are going to be stuck,” he said.
Neither the White House nor the State Department responded to requests for comment. This story remains developing as advocates continue to press for action.
