President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive orders on immigration have led to significant disruptions in Afghan relocation efforts, leaving many vulnerable evacuees stranded and prompting backlash from veterans and advocacy groups.
Ruqia Balkhi, a 55-year-old engineer who worked with the US military in Afghanistan, was among the thousands of Afghans granted Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) for their service. Upon arriving in the US in September 2023, she received federal resettlement assistance, including housing, language classes, and mental health support. However, when her husband, Mohammed Aref Mangal, arrived in January under the same program, he found those services had been abruptly halted due to Trump’s new restrictions on federal funding and immigration.
Trump’s executive orders have severely impacted Afghan resettlement efforts, despite bipartisan support for aiding US allies. One of his first actions in office was pausing the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), stranding many already approved Afghan applicants abroad. His decision to halt foreign aid also disrupted the SIV program, which depends on federal funding, leading to the suspension of services such as medical care, food, and legal assistance for refugees waiting in transit locations like Qatar and Albania. The freeze on funding for relocation flights run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has further impeded Afghans from reaching the US, leaving thousands in precarious conditions.
Advocates argue that Trump’s policies contradict his own campaign rhetoric. During his re-election bid, he strongly criticized the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and 170 Afghans. His condemnation of former President Joe Biden’s handling of the exit had raised hopes among Afghan resettlement advocates that his administration would prioritize helping those left behind. However, his latest orders suggest otherwise.
Veteran organizations have consistently supported Afghan relocation efforts, considering it both a national security priority and a moral obligation. In 2021, a poll from NPR and Ipsos found that two-thirds of Americans backed Afghan resettlement, with an October 2023 poll from With Honor showing an even higher approval rate of 80 percent. Many military veterans, who played key roles in the Afghanistan war, have actively lobbied for continued assistance to Afghan allies.
Despite Trump’s hardline stance, some within his administration, including National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, a veteran who previously pressured Biden to evacuate Afghan allies, are seen as potential allies in reversing these policies. However, others remain skeptical, citing the influence of immigration hardliner Stephen Miller, who had previously slowed SIV processing under Trump’s first administration.
For many Afghans left in limbo, the suspension of refugee and resettlement programs is not just an inconvenience but a life-threatening reality. Advocates like Shawn VanDiver of #AfghanEvac warn that unless Trump’s administration reverses course, the consequences could be dire for those who risked their lives supporting the US.
