Khaberni - Reuters said that a cable from the U.S. State Department showed that President Donald Trump's administration ordered its diplomats - around the world - to stop issuing visas to Afghan citizens, effectively suspending a migration program for Afghans who assisted the United States during its 20-year occupation of their country.
The cable—sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions last Friday—stated that consular staff were instructed to deny any applications from Afghan citizens for either immigration visas or any other types of visas effective immediately, including applicants for special immigration visas.
A former member of an Afghan unit supported by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency was accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers in Washington D.C., with one later dying.
The U.S. State Department referred Reuters yesterday to a statement by Secretary Mark Rubio (Friday) on the X platform, stating that “all individuals” traveling with Afghan passports will have their visas "temporarily halted."
The U.S. State Department cable—reported earlier by the New York Times—stated that the step of stopping the visa process for Afghan citizens aims to “ensure the applicant’s identity and eligibility to receive a visa under U.S. law.”
A volunteer group (assisting in supporting U.S. allies from Afghanistan) stated that this cable is part of Trump administration’s efforts to prevent all Afghans from entering the United States.
Sean Van Diever, head of "Afghan Evac", stated in an email, "There is no doubt that this is the result they have been aiming for months," while the White House has not responded to a request for comment.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had already stopped reviewing Afghan citizens' immigration applications indefinitely a few days ago.
Van Diever told Reuters earlier that about 200,000 Afghans had entered the United States through refugee and special visa programs by 2021, adding that applications from another 265,000 Afghans outside the United States were still under review, including about 180,000 in the special immigration visa program for those who worked for the U.S. government.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has given top priority to enforcing immigration laws, deploying federal agents to major U.S. cities and returning asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.
