Monday Morning Update -- October 6, 2025

Good morning folks,

We have a lot of updates and they’re not all bad! Seeing Sayed released from ICE detention last week was a real boost, we’ve also rolled out a new resource for helping folks understand what is stopped and why (attached), and we’ve got a battle buddies update. We have some information about Operation “Freaky Friday”, a new graphic about the current status of pathways, and more!

Also, we are trying to make our shift over to substack. Please subscribe today to keep receiving these emails (and if you get them multiple times, the move to substack should take care of that). While you’re at it and if you find great value in the information we share, the voices we lift, and the way we beat our head against the wall over and over, please make a donation today to support our continued efforts.

Operation Freaky Friday
ICE has quietly rolled out what DHS has been calling “Operation Freaky Friday” — a coercive campaign targeting unaccompanied minors with letters offering $2,500 if they “voluntarily” self-deport, while warning that family members could face arrest if they don’t comply. Though ICE insists participation is “voluntary,” advocates and lawyers have documented threats and pressure tactics that put children in impossible positions.

For Afghans, the risks are acute. Families already reeling from parole revocations and detention threats are now watching their children become targets of this new initiative. Afghan minors who fled the Taliban and are still navigating asylum or SIV pathways face the real prospect of being pushed back into harm’s way under the guise of “choice.” The fallout is chilling: families are terrified to send kids to school, legal aid groups are scrambling to mount defenses, and the precedent of coercive “voluntary returns” could expand to other vulnerable groups.

We are tracking cases closely and working with partners to push back on this latest example of cruelty disguised as policy. For our allies, Freaky Friday is not a movie—it is another reminder that even when they play by the rules, the system is stacked against them.

#StandWithSayed Update

After taking a few days to decompress, Sayed was ready to tell his story – which he did with grace and honesty in an AfghanEvac press conference in San Diego on Thursday as well as on CNN with Laura Coates and with Joey Safchick at NBC San Diego. You can see both here:

Afghan Ally who helped U.S. troops released from ICE Detention - CNN

Afghan ally speaks out after ICE detention release - NBC San Diego

In one of his interviews, Sayed said:

“I still believe in America. I do not feel betrayed. I feel hopeful because of how many Americans stood up for me when I was arrested. Thousands of Americans raised their voices and stood by my side. That’s why America is a great country.”

Many of your voices are the very voices about which Sayed spoke – and this kind of hopeful sentiment is exactly why AfghanEvac will keep pushing to support our wartime allies, and why Battle Buddies will keep showing up to stand with them as they go through their immigration processing.

Battle Buddies Update

On a related note, Battle Buddies are seeing an uptick in action as more court cases and appointments are submitted to our database. There will be actions this coming week in California, Virginia, and Kentucky. We continue to spread the word that Afghans with court dates or immigration appointments can submit their info to us so we can match them up with a Battle Buddy in their area – your help in amplifying that message would be much appreciated!

We know that with the expiration of parole statuses and the cancellation of TPS for Afghans, there will be more allies who need us to stand with them. As this program expands to include more veterans and provide support to more Afghans, we’ll also need to raise funds to scale up – so please consider making a donation today to help us do that.

And finally, if you’re a veteran and haven’t yet signed up, or you know someone who is who should get involved, go here to sign up: https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies

Action Alert – Refugee Goal set at 7,500

Right now, tens of thousands of Afghans who stood with America — translators, human rights defenders, women and girls — are stuck in limbo because of the administration’s refugee and travel bans. The Trump administration has indefinitely halted refugee admissions, stranding thousands in limbo.

With the new federal fiscal year having begun October 1, the administration has reportedly set a new refugee admissions goal for FY 2026. Reports suggest they have sidelined Afghans and other already-approved refugees in favor of other political interests like Afrikaners — abandoning those most at risk. In fact, the NY Times says that the PD has already been signed and that it includes only 7,500 refugees.

This is urgent. Congress needs to hear from you: America must keep its word. Click here to contact your national, state, and local elected officials TODAY.

Implementation of The One Big Beautiful Bill

Did you know that part of the OBBB was making it so that refugees and other humanitarian entrants ineligible for food and nutrition benefits under SNAP? That in itself is a big and terrible deal for our allies. Some states are implementing this law and going a little further than necessary. For example, Vermont is interpreting this to mean that even SIV recipients should have to wait 5 years upon arrival (as laid out in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA). Obviously they are not required to do this.

If you’re a Vermonter and you want to contact Governor Scott to let him know this is wrong, please do visit RCUSA’s Action Alert. You can check out the messaging guidance here.

National Immigration Forum

Last week I was honored to serve on a panel at the National Immigration Forum along with Myal Greene from World Relief, Margaret Stock from Cascadia Cross Border Law Group, and Rafeal Laveage, the Consul General of Mexico in Atlanta.

We talked about a variety of issues impacting immigrants, particularly refugees, in a wide-ranging conversation moderated thoughtfully by Andy Olsen from Christianity Today. I was encouraged to see so many people from the business, law enforcement, and faith communities come together in shared belief in the importance of immigrants and the need for immigration reform in this country. While our focus is on Afghan allies, so much of what we worked to improve in Enduring Welcome is applicable to other immigrant populations – and we’re always honored to work alongside other organizations who see the shared value in collaboration.

A clip from the panel, where I talked about what we’ve done, what’s happened since January, and how Ronald Reagan’s vision of a shining city on a hill is what we should endeavor to make happen.

Government Shutdown

As we all know, the government is currently shut down and it’s unclear when that may be resolved. It is important to note, however, that U.S. government staff at the CARE platform in Doha, Qatar are considered essential and are still working. Operations at CAS continue as normal, so that the almost 1,200 Afghans still there can receive the same services and support they’ve had. We are grateful for the dedication and hard work of the staff at CAS and we sincerely hope that Congress will find a way to end this shutdown as soon as possible.

What We’re Reading

• Afghans awaited U.S. resettlement. Pakistan sent them back to the Taliban – Washington Post

• Afghan Man Freed After Viral Arrest and Over 100 Days in ICE Custody – Reason

• Afghan man unlawfully detained this summer at immigration court reflects on his experience – KPBS News

• Afghan ally who served with US forces freed after wrongful ICE detention, speaks out about ordeal - CBS8

• Iran may release hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees into Iraq and Turkey – The Guardian

• Afghan refugees share concerns over Taliban-enforced internet outage in Afghanistan – NBC 5

• Former Afghan interpreter freed from ICE custody in San Diego – Fox 5 San Diego

Thanks as always for remaining in this fight with us, and for your continued support for our wartime allies.