News & Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 11, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Spencer Tilger | media@refugeerights.org
FIVE YEARS AFTER U.S. WITHDRAWAL, AFGHAN REFUGEES ARE ABANDONED ABROAD AND TARGETED IN THE U.S.
IRAP releases updated explainer outlining policies targeting Afghans
(New York, NY) – August marks five years since the end of the United States military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover of the country. In the time since, the United States government has increasingly turned its back on Afghan refugees, including those who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.
Years of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) delays kept many Afghan allies in danger, while new Trump administration restrictions are stopping them from ever reaching safety. Since late 2025, an expanded travel ban and pause on immigrant visa issuance has prevented Afghan nationals, including SIV applicants, from receiving visas or entering the United States. The administration has also restricted refugee processing to almost exclusively white Afrikaners, resettling just three Afghans this Fiscal Year. In the United States, Afghans are being targeted for arrest and deportation, while many Afghan SIV green card holders are being told their status could be revoked for no fault of their own.
Today, the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) released an updated explainer outlining the Trump administration’s attacks on Afghan allies, which include stripping them of legal status, targeting them for deportation, and dismantling the systems that support Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders and other Afghan refugees. IRAP also recently won a court victory ordering the government to reunite separated Afghan families.
Jennifer Patota, IRAP Deputy Director of U.S. Legal Services, said:
“At the same time that the Trump administration has banned Afghans from entering the country, it is actively actively tearing apart Afghan communities who have relied on these pathways and built their lives in the United States. Whether it is arbitrarily targeting Afghan green card holders or stranding allies abroad, the U.S. government has betrayed its promise to protect Afghan refugees. Congress must act to defend this vulnerable population and ensure the U.S. promise of protection continues to mean something.”
Liwal, an Afghan SIV recipient and former IRAP client, said:
“We were left behind during the evacuation and it was only thanks to organizations like IRAP that we eventually made it here. But so many other people are still left behind. When the U.S. goes somewhere, if people help them, they should help them back. I say that America is my homeland now. This is because America is where I see my future and where I see my children having a future that they could not have in Afghanistan. I have six daughters and in Afghanistan the girls cannot go to school. Here, buses come and take them to school and the teachers are very kind to my kids, it’s fantastic. My kids are very happy. They can go around freely, and my daughter even just got her driver’s license. I have met people here who helped me and my family so much. My daughters want to become doctors, and I want that for them. Both for their future and for them to be able to contribute and give back to the United States.”
In addition to directly representing Afghans in their immigration proceedings, IRAP continues to fight for Afghan allies in court through multiple cases:
- Afghan and Iraqi Allies v. Rubio: challenging systemic SIV delays
- A.A. et al v. United States Department of State: challenging the State Department’s unlawful denials to Afghan asylee family members
- Pacito v. Trump: challenging Trump’s suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
- M.M.M. v. State: challenging the U.S. government’s unfair application of the Child Status Protection Act to Afghan children
- Yasini Doe v. State: challenging the state department’s unlawful policy blocking Afghan allies from the SIV program based on the nature of their employer
Additional Resources
- Read the updated explainer about the administration’s attacks on Afghan allies: HERE
- Read about IRAP’s recent court victory on behalf of separated Afghan families: HERE
- Read IRAP’s explainer on the 2025 travel ban: HERE
The International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP) is a global legal aid and advocacy organization working to create a world where refugees and all people seeking safety are empowered to claim their right to freedom of movement and a path to lasting refuge. Everyone should have a safe place to live and a safe way to get there.
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