Monday Morning Update -- January 12, 2026
Bribes, Visa Denials, and a Senate Hearing
Two major issues emerged last week that require urgent attention. Both are deeply concerning, and both reflect a broader pattern of coercion, confusion, and cruelty in the current approach to Afghan allies.
First, we learned that U.S. government staff at Camp As-Sayliyah (CAS) in Doha have been offering cash payments to Afghans in exchange for seeking repatriation. This amounts to bribing refugees to return to a country they fled because of credible fear of persecution.
Second, we are seeing an increase in Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants receiving refusals under section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act at their visa interviews. At this time, it remains unclear whether these refusals apply only to visa issuance or whether they invalidate the underlying, COM-approved SIV petitions themselves.
Below, we provide additional detail on both issues, along with updates on related policy developments and information about the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday, January 14.
Last week also brought important national coverage of this moment. The Washington Post published a larger story focused on Afghan women rebuilding their lives in Manhattan, Kansas, which included reporting on AfghanEvac’s work and the challenges Afghan families continue to face even after reaching safety. That coverage underscores what we see every day: these policies are not abstract. They shape real lives, real communities, and real futures.
Action items
Show up for our allies at the Senate Hearing in DC on Wednesday
Share this story in the Washington Post
Share this resource on what to do if detained by ICE (Dari and Pashto versions coming)
Read our updated primer
Bribes at CAS
Last week, we learned that Afghans stranded at Camp As-Sayliyah in Doha, all of whom were transported there by the U.S. government, have been offered cash payments to voluntarily repatriate to Afghanistan.
Approximately 800 individuals remain in U.S. custody at CAS. Many have been there for more than a year, with their resettlement journeys frozen following the Trump Administration’s Day One Executive Order (14163) that shuttered the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. These individuals are now being offered money to return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where they face a high likelihood of persecution or death.
We want to be unequivocal: any Afghan who repatriates under these conditions is not doing so voluntarily, regardless of what paperwork they are pressured to sign. This is coercion, plain and simple.
Afghans who risked their lives in service of the U.S. mission and were promised a pathway to safety should not be forced to choose between indefinite limbo on a former military base or return to a country where they are in danger. These are our allies. They deserve the opportunity to complete their resettlement journeys and rebuild their lives in the United States.
AfghanEvac will continue to sound the alarm about this practice. We are pushing for these payments to stop immediately and for the Afghans stranded at CAS to be allowed to move forward with resettlement.
Visa Denials
This is a complex issue, and clarity matters.
We are currently seeing two types of visa refusals issued to Afghan SIV applicants. The first is section 221(g), which places a case into administrative processing and is not a final denial. A visa may still be issued at a later date.
The second is section 212(f), which reflects a refusal based on presidential authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Recently, SIV applicants have received 212(f) refusals following visa interviews. What remains unclear is whether these refusals apply only to visa issuance at that time, or whether they also invalidate the underlying COM-approved SIV petitions.
Put simply, when an SIV applicant receives a 212(f) refusal, we do not yet know whether the U.S. government is denying the visa temporarily or denying the entire SIV case altogether. This distinction is critical, and the failure to provide a clear answer is unacceptable.
Despite repeated requests, the government has not provided guidance. This lack of transparency fuels confusion, fear, and unnecessary delay, and it causes real harm to people who have already waited years for answers.
It is also important to be clear about the state of the SIV program itself. New SIV applications closed on December 31, 2025. Visa issuance for Afghan passport holders and COM decisions are currently paused. These actions have been described as temporary, not terminations of the SIV program, but no timeline has been provided.
International Organizations
Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order withdrawing the United States from 66 international organizations deemed “contrary to U.S. interests.” These include UN commissions, humanitarian organizations, and environmental and energy forums.
This decision further isolates the United States and dismantles cooperative, multilateral frameworks that provide stability and essential services to vulnerable populations around the world. The Administration has offered no credible alternative plan to replace the humanitarian, development, or protection functions these organizations perform.
AfghanEvac strongly opposes this withdrawal and its inevitable negative consequences.
Congressional Updates
The House Freedom Caucus recently sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson outlining legislative demands that would effectively end the SIV program, freeze most immigration for at least six months, and eliminate funding for refugee resettlement and assistance. The language in the letter explicitly targets Afghans and Muslims. Read the coverage in Fox news here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-freedom-caucus-lays-out-gop-battle-plan-ahead-republicans-huddle-trump
These proposals are dangerous, discriminatory, and fundamentally un-American. AfghanEvac unequivocally opposes the measures outlined in the letter and will continue working on a bipartisan basis with members of Congress who understand that honoring our commitments to allies strengthens our national security.
This week, AfghanEvac will be in Washington, D.C. for the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, January 14, titled “Biden’s Afghan Parolee Program: A Trojan Horse with Flawed Vetting and Deadly Consequences.”
Afghan parolees, asylees, refugees, and visa recipients are the most thoroughly vetted immigrant population in U.S. history. We will be present to ensure Congress understands this reality. Our wartime allies served alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, journalists, and humanitarian workers for twenty years. They were vetted repeatedly. They earned their pathways here. They deserve respect, not vilification.
We need you to show up for the hearing.
FY26 National Security and State Department funding update
The FY26 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs funding bill has been released. Notably, Enduring Welcome is not mentioned anywhere in the bill text or explanatory statement, and Afghanistan is not explicitly referenced as a priority country.
While funding mechanisms for refugee and humanitarian assistance are technically retained under consolidated accounts, the bill provides no direction or protection to ensure access for Afghan nationals. Based on other Administration policies and early implementation signals, we expect these funds to be reserved almost exclusively for Afrikaner populations, not Afghan allies.
At the same time, we are already seeing contracts cut across the resettlement and relocation ecosystem, further reducing capacity, delaying services, and undermining the infrastructure needed to support refugees who are lawfully eligible for protection.
The absence of any reference to Enduring Welcome or Afghan-specific pathways, combined with these cuts, signals a deliberate disengagement from commitments made to Afghan allies, even as nominal funding authorities remain on the books.
In the Press
After fleeing the Taliban, they felt safe in America. A shooting in D.C. changed everything – Washington Post
Trump Admin Tries to ‘Bribe’ Afghan Allies to ‘Accept Death’ in Afghanistan – Zeteo
Trump Threatens to Denaturalize U.S. Citizens If They ‘Deserve’ It. – Time
The Cruelty of Trump’s Crackdown on Afghan Refugees – NY Times
Trump administration strikes another hammer blow at Afghan allies – Washington Examiner
Feds Say Rubio Has Authority To Halt Ally Visa Processing – Law360
US Offers Cash to Afghan Refugees in Qatar to Abandon Resettlement, AfghanEvac Claims – KabulNow
We would also be remiss if we did not acknowledge last week’s ICE shooting in Minnesota and the many ICE actions across the country that continue to put families and communities at risk. AfghanEvac remains committed to protecting and supporting Afghan immigrants in the United States, and we are grateful to work alongside partners doing the same.
As a reminder, please share our resource on what to do if detained by ICE, our primer, and this update.
Stay safe, take care of yourselves, and look out for one another.
 | A guest post by
|
Hello Mr. Shawn,
i hape you are doing well ,
After many years of waiting, with hope for a dignified and secure life in the United States based on the privilege earned through our sincere cooperation with the United States Army in Afghanistan we now find ourselves in a most difficult and distressing situation. We are currently awaiting the scheduling of our SIV interview in Islamabad, Pakistan, while living under extremely harsh conditions, without legal residency, and under the constant and severe threat of forced deportation to Afghanistan by Pakistani authorities due to the expiration of our Pakistani visas.
The overwhelming economic hardships and the high cost of living have left us barely able to breathe. Persistent stress, anxiety, and serious psychological illnesses are gravely endangering our health. Alongside many other challenges, these circumstances have collectively stripped us of our ability to plan, decide, and move forward with any sense of stability or certainty.
Nevertheless, when I witness your humanitarian and sincere efforts, along with those of your colleagues, I become deeply hopeful and reassured, knowing that I/we are not alone and that honorable individuals such as yourself continue to support us. For your tireless, day-and-night dedication and efforts, I extend my deepest gratitude. We will remain forever indebted to your kindness, compassion, and unwavering support.
These hardships are not limited to my family and me alone; rather, thousands of Afghans facing similar circumstances in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and across various parts of the world are enduring the same painful reality.