Trump has canceled travel to the U.S. for refugees, leaving thousands who were already approved
Refugees who were allowed to travel to the United States before next week's deadline to suspend America's refugee resettlement program have had their travel plans canceled by the Trump administration.
Thousands of refugees who fled war and persecution and went through the sometimes years-long process to start a new life in the U.S. are now stranded around the world, including more than 1,600 Afghans who supported the U.S. war effort as well as active-duty U.S. military personnel. relatives.
US President Donald Trump suspended the program this week as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration, a move that left open the possibility that refugees who had been vetted to come to the US and had booked flights by Monday's deadline could enter under the wire. :
But in a letter dated Tuesday and reviewed by The Associated Press, the U.S. refugee and immigration agency told staff and stakeholders that “refugee arrivals to the United States have been suspended until further notice.”
According to a document obtained by the AP, there are just over 10,000 refugees from around the world who have already gone through the lengthy refugee admissions process and planned to travel in the next few weeks.
They include more than 1,600 Afghans who have been granted permission to come to the United States under a program the Biden administration created after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Many of the veterans of America's longest war have spent years trying to help the Afghans they worked with, in addition to their own families, find asylum in the United States.
“The Trump administration's early termination of refugee flights is alarming, leaving thousands of Afghan allies in fear and uncertainty,” said Sean VanDiver, a Navy veteran and leader of the #AfghanEvac coalition, which supports Afghan resettlement efforts.
“We stand ready to work together to fix this and encourage clear communication with affected families. Let's honor our promises and stand up for America's values.”
There is a separate pathway, a special immigrant visa program, specifically for Afghans who have worked directly with the U.S. government.VanDiver's group said the program created by Congress does not appear to be affected at this time.
“Destructive for Families”
Trump's order signed Monday gave the State Department a week ago to halt all processing and travel.The timing appears to have been moved up, though it was not immediately clear what prompted the change.
The State Department referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Agencies that help refugees settle and adjust to life in the U.S. argue that this is the type of legal immigration that Trump and his supporters say they like, and point to strict background checks and sometimes long waits. , which refugees endure.
“This abrupt end to refugee admissions is devastating for families who have already endured unimaginable hardship and waited years for a chance to safely rebuild their lives,” Chris O'Mara Wignarajah, head of Global Refuge, one of 10 U.S. resettlement agencies, said Wednesday in the statement.
President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday rolled back Biden-era guidance that limited immigration arrests near sensitive locations, including schools, hospitals and churches.Jason Hauser, a former top immigration official under the Biden administration, said it was likely more will focus on coercive measures.
“Refugees go through one of the toughest vetting processes in the world, and many now find their travel canceled just days or even hours before they were about to start their new lives in the United States,” he said. “It's absolutely heartbreaking is”.
Refugees are different from people who come directly to the US-Mexico border to ultimately seek asylum. Refugees must live outside the US to be considered for resettlement and are usually referred by the United Nations to the State Department.
While the resettlement program has historically enjoyed bipartisan support, the first Trump administration also temporarily halted resettlement and then reduced the number of refugees who could enter the country each year.
