The Kabul Tribune (KT) — A new report by the San Diego-based nonprofit AfghanEvac says hundreds of thousands of Afghans could be eligible for resettlement in the United States if not for President Donald Trump's travel and visa restrictions.
The report, published on Wednesday, Aug. 6, examines U.S.
government data tracing Afghan resettlement efforts from the administration of
former President George W. Bush through the present, with a particular focus on
the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program.
According to the report, Afghans who worked alongside U.S.
and allied forces during the 2001–2021 war in Afghanistan were promised
protection through resettlement programs, with the SIV program serving as the
oldest and most extensively documented pathway.
Shawn VanDiver, president and co-founder of AfghanEvac, said
the report critically assesses the policies of both Republican and Democratic
administrations but argues that the most significant changes came during
Trump's second term.
The report says Trump suspended U.S. refugee resettlement on
his first day back in office and later imposed a travel ban on Afghan passport
holders.
According to the report, more than 175,000 Afghans have
already received Chief of Mission approval for Special Immigrant Visas, meaning
their background checks and documentation have been completed and only visa
interviews remain.
VanDiver said the U.S. State Department has continued
scheduling interviews but applicants are being denied visas because of the
travel ban.
"Every single person that gets interviewed is being
denied because of the travel ban," VanDiver said.
He added that advocacy organizations are now advising
eligible Afghans to delay their interviews until U.S. policy changes.
The report also states that nearly 6,000 congressionally
authorized SIVs remain frozen and that no Special Immigrant Visas have been
issued to Afghan passport holders since Jan. 1, 2026.
"Zero—not a few—zero," VanDiver said.
"President Trump has completely shut down arrivals for Afghans in the
United States of America."
According to the report, another 132,000 Afghans have
pending SIV applications awaiting Chief of Mission approval.
Beyond the SIV program, the report estimates that
approximately 59,000 refugee applicants remain in Afghanistan, along with more
than 9,000 family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents
awaiting immigration processing.
The report includes 10 policy recommendations, including
issuing the nearly 6,000 approved SIVs, reopening refugee admissions for
Afghans and restoring Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nearly 12,000
Afghans already living in the United States.
It also notes that bipartisan legislation to restore TPS
protections for Afghans was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
last month, while a companion bill was introduced in the Senate on Thursday,
Aug. 6.
