A non-profit organization, No One Left Behind, has raised millions of dollars for flights and other assistance to bring Afghans who served with American troops to the US before a potential travel ban. The travel ban, which could restrict entry from Afghanistan, was announced by President Trump’s executive order on January 20.
The US military evacuated 78,000 Afghans in August 2021, but many are still trying to reach the US. The Afghan allies can apply for a Special Immigrant Visa, which allows them to travel to the US with their families and receive permanent residence. However, the visa application process has been delayed due to Trump’s executive orders.
The Trump administration has barred nationals from seven majority Muslim countries, including Afghanistan, from entering the US. This ban could leave Afghans who helped the US at risk of retaliation from the Taliban. The US officials have stated that Cuba and Venezuela could also be added to the list.
No One Left Behind, which was established in 2014, has been working tirelessly to raise funds and arrange flights for Afghan families. The organization’s main role is now focused on emergency fundraising campaigns to support Afghan families who are waiting to reach the US.
About 37,000 Afghans have been issued Special Immigrant Visas since 2009, but many face retaliatory violence and hundreds have been killed for assisting the US. The Taliban regards those Afghans as traitors. No One Left Behind’s executive director, Andrew Sullivan, said that there is a real chance that Afghan allies could be “kicked back to the Taliban” with a US visa.
Veteran groups, including Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, have voiced concern for the fate of Afghan allies. Three Republican members of Congress have signed a letter expressing their concerns about the impact of Trump’s executive orders on Afghan relocation efforts.
No One Left Behind aims to fly every Afghan who already has a visa by the end of this week and provide them with assistance to settle in the US. The organization is partnering with community organizations and volunteers to fill the void left by funding cuts from the Trump administration.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/us/trump-travel-ban-afghan-allies.html