Monday Morning Update -- July 28, 2025
Hello from Washington
Good morning from Washington! We had a super busy week last week and this one will be just as busy. Our pressure campaign continues and our collective foot is on the gas, trying to get answers for our allies.
What happened last week
Last week, we learned that the Moral Compass Federation (a small coalition primarily focused on addressing the Moral Injury associated with the withdrawal) met with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Afghanistan Mary Bischoping. We understand from the readout that has circulated that they discussed moral injury primarily and we are uncertain about next steps but do hope they will soon share the asks that they made and outcomes.
I landed in D.C. last night for a few days of pushing on doors here — the hope is to get some meetings with those in the Executive branch whose decisions have been so negatively impacting Afghans both here and those still awaiting relocation. While the moral injury of this work is a huge issue, we believe that restarting relocations and getting answers for our wartime allies is what’s most critical — and would help address that moral injury issue at the same time.
Also last week, the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) had before them Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker. Rep Julie Johnson from Texas asked her several questions about CARE / Afghans. Watch her portion of the hearing here.
We hosted a press conference along with Senator Blumenthal and Congresswoman Hayes of CT and Congressman Keating of MA to discuss the latest in what seems to be a new and disgraceful trend of ICE abducting and detaining our wartime allies. This time, the man’s name is Zia and he lives in Connecticut with his family. He’s currently being held in Massachusetts, hasn’t been charged with a crime, and we are awaiting details.
Battle Buddies is still going strong. We expect to have our first training shortly and deployments will begin thereafter. Please provide court dates and / or any appointments with USCIS on the website.
I’ve just returned from a quick outreach trip to Phoenix, AZ along with our Chief of Comms Jessica Bradley Rushing. We met with several different groups of Afghans as well as staff from local advocacy organizations in the area. We spoke to a wide range of folks, from Afghans who’ve been here since the NEO to those who are newly resettled — and what we heard across the board is that people are worried about the direction this Administration is taking with regard to our allies. We’ll have more reflections on the trip hitting our socials soon so stay tuned!
What to look for this week
Growing congressional interest in briefings on Afghanistan. State Department has remained silent and DAS Bischoping keeps trying to dodge congressional briefings. Now they’re saying they “don’t want to get ahead of the President” on Afghanistan. That’s a bullshit excuse, the President has been clear.
We are pushing more on the fate of guests at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, in Pakistan, and at Emirates Humanitarian City in UAE.
More news on Zia, Sayed, and other cases where ICE is snatching our allies from their court dates.
In the press
A former Afghan U.S. translator was seized by ICE agents. Veterans are fighting for his release – Hartford Courant
Former Afghan interpreter arrested by ICE after green card appointment – KPBS News
Lawmakers call for release of Afghan interpreter detained by ICE – CT Insider
Afghans promised a home in U.S. may face repatriation — and the Taliban – Washington Post
Deported Afghans face bleak future under Taliban rule – Washington Examiner
How Trump Weakening Refugee Admissions Hurts American Companies – US News and World Report
Thanks again for staying in this fight. Let us know if we missed anything and I’ll be in touch again soon.