Monday Morning Update -- November 10, 2025

A big week in Washington, public benefits, and more

Last week, AfghanEvac was in Washington D.C. alongside several U.S. military service members of Afghan heritage meeting with members of Congress, committee staff, press, and others to talk about some of the most pressing issues facing our Afghan allies right now. It was a productive week and we’ll share a lot more details below.

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1. Fuel the fight
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2. Show off your colors
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3. Spread the word
   Share this update on your social channels and tag us. The more people who understand what’s happening — to service members’ families, to Afghan allies, to the promise of America — the stronger our movement becomes.

Congressional Meetings with service members

As we all know by now, the United States government has suspended all refugee processing and admissions into the country since Inauguration Day back in January. Among those impacted by this unconscionable pause are 3,000 family members of currently serving members of the U.S. military.

Day 1 on the Hill

Of those 3,000 family members, 200 remain stuck in U.S. custody at Camp As Sayliyah in Doha, Qatar, having been relocated there by the U.S. government prior to the suspension of the USRAP.

This week, I had the privilege of introducing some of those current service members whose families are trapped in limbo to several Members of Congress. They shared their stories and we emphasized how critical it is that progress be made in reopening refugee admissions so that these individuals are able to be reunited with their families.

We met with a variety of folks on the Hill from both sides of the aisle, including speaking directly with Senator Chris Coons, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Representative Scott Peters, and Senator Marsha Blackburn. We also met with staff from the offices of Senator Thom Tillis, Senator Ed Markey, Senator Dave McCormick, Representative Jamie Raskin, Representative Jason Crow, and Representative Brian Mast and with committee staff from the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC), Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), and the House Judiciary Committee.

To be clear — we advocated for the full suite of issues important to the AfghanEvac community. We asked Republican Senators and Representatives to call President Trump directly and request relief. We asked that Congress work together to pass legislation that would help our allies FINALLY reach their American dream.

Across the board, these meetings were incredibly valuable, informative, and productive – and I am so grateful to the service members who were willing to come out and share their stories so that our elected officials can have a better understanding of the true difficulties facing Afghans still left in limbo by the Administration’s policy decisions.

Day 2 on the Hill

Our message is simple: our service members and their families deserve better – we must keep the promise we made to them, and to all eligible Afghan allies, and reopen the pathways to resettlement that they earned.

Important Update: U.S. Travel Ban and Visa Interviews for Afghan Nationals

As of June 9, 2025, Afghan nationals are subject to a U.S. entry suspension (travel ban) under Presidential Proclamation 10949. This means the U.S. Department of State is currently refusing visa applications for most Afghans under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) §212(f).

Who is considered for an exception from the Ban?

• Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants who worked for or on behalf of the U.S. government,

• Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents), and

• Dual nationals who hold a valid passport from a country not subject to the travel ban.

What this means for visa applicants in any other category

While the travel ban blocks entry, and per State Department implementation also visa issuance, it does not stop the processing of immigration petitions or visa applications.

• USCIS, the National Visa Center (NVC), and U.S. embassies continue to process applications through to the interview stage.

• However, at the interview, applicants not covered by an exception are refused under §212(f).

• Once refused, an application is considered fully adjudicated - it is no longer pending if the ban is later lifted or if the applicant’s situation changes.

If you are affected

• Consult a qualified immigration attorney before your interview. Choose someone familiar with the June 2025 travel ban and its implications.

• Consider requesting to postpone your interview to keep your case active, especially if U.S. policy changes or if you later qualify for an exception. The most common change would be if a Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) becomes a U.S. Citizen: The spouse of the Green Card holder would be refused at the interview, while they could be considered for an exception from the ban if they interview after the petitioning spouse became a U.S. Citizen.

• Stay informed. U.S. policy on this issue is subject to periodic review and rapidly shifts at the whims of the White House.

We understand how distressing this situation is for Afghan families - especially for those who supported U.S. missions. Our organization remains committed to sharing accurate information, advocating for fairness, and standing with the Afghan community during this challenging time.

Event Participation

On Friday, I was honored to participate in a panel discussion at the Military Reporters & Editors Conference alongside several Afghans who have been tirelessly working in this space. The panel, moderated by Steve Walsh, was titled “Afghans Who Worked with U.S. Face an Increasingly Uncertain Future” featured Hadeia Amiry, Zia Ghafoori, and Sweeta Azimi – three incredible Afghans who have been fierce advocates for Afghan relocation and resettlement.

Their personal experiences and depth and breadth of understanding made for an incredibly impactful conversation. We hit on many important issues focused on the current state of affairs for Afghans here in the U.S. and abroad.

Legislative Update

As we spoke with congressional offices across both the House and Senate, we talked about current pending legislation related to relocation and resettlement – specifically the Afghan Adjustment Act and Enduring Welcome Act.

The Afghan Adjustment Act, which has been introduced on three separate occasions over the last four years, seems to have stalled. More Republican support is needed, so we encourage you all to contact your Members, especially Republicans, and encourage them to support this legislation. Notably, though, as the bill is currently written, the provisions to add eligible Afghans into the refugee system would not result in movement as long as the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program remains suspended by Trump’s Executive Order.

The Enduring Welcome Act is still moving and gaining support. This legislation would help codify and restart relocation operations, enabling some pathways to reopen and setting into law the functions previously carried out by the office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) in the U.S. Department of State. The Enduring Welcome Act has bipartisan support and we’re hopeful that this could make a meaningful difference if it’s passed.

We are in initial discussions around legislative action to help prevent ICE from harassing Afghans who arrived through Operation Allies Welcome, Enduring Welcome, CBP One, and other forms of parole. If you are a congressional office interested in engaging on that, please do reach out.

Battle Buddies

Battle Buddies actions continued this past week and we still have a 100% success rate of Afghans NOT being detained when they’ve been accompanied by one of our volunteers.

We know there could be an increased need in the coming months as more folks submit their court and immigration appointment information, so if you haven’t signed up to be a Battle Buddy yet – please do so HERE.

If you’re not a veteran but still want to help, your donations will enable us to ramp up and expand to meet the growing need. Donate here!

And finally, you can help spread the word about this program by purchasing and wearing Battle Buddies gear, posting about the effort on social media, and sharing our stories with your friends and family.

Food assistance / SNAP

While SNAP and other food assistance remains in jeopardy, we know that many newly resettled Afghan allies may have fewer supports in place to ensure they can feed themselves and their families.

If you or someone you know needs assistance, you can use this website to find a food bank, soup kitchen, or meal program in your community (this is not limited to Afghans – anyone can use this site): https://www.feedingamerica.org/need-help-find-food

More information on public benefits, translated into several languages: https://usahello.org/life-in-usa/money/public-benefits/

What We’re Reading/Watching

• Scars in the Blue Mosque Reveal Afghanistan’s Rifts – NY Times

• AfghanEvac on Scripps News

• Trump’s historic cut to refugee program poised to face legal challenges – The Hill

• Most U.S. refugee slots in 2026 reserved for White South Africans – The Orlando News

• Over 150,000 Afghans Return from Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey in 15 Days – TOLOnews

• I work with refugees — and I’ve seen the human cost of Trump’s policy changes – MSNBC

• Pakistan says peace talks with Afghanistan are deadlocked despite mediation – AP

While we still have a long way to go to achieve real progress in relocation and resettlement, our meetings last week gave me hope. There’s a lot of work ahead, but congressional offices on both sides of the aisle have expressed support and promised action. We’ll keep pushing forward, one step at a time. Thank you for following along and for standing with our allies.