US Republican and Democratic administrations alike benefited from the sacrifices of Afghans who put their lives on the line to support US troops, and spread US values, in the 20-year war against the Taliban. Both have now betrayed the trust those allies placed in them.
The administration of former US president Joe Biden botched the August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, ushering the Taliban back into power. It tried to atone in part by smoothing pathways for military interpreters and others who qualified for Special Immigrant Visas (SIV), as well as refugees including judges, journalists and women’s rights activists, to emigrate to the US. By the end of Biden’s term, close to 5,000 Afghans a month were successfully resettling in the US.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has thrown the system into turmoil. Its broad-ranging suspension of foreign aid has cut off funds that SIV holders were relying on to travel to the US and upended the resettlement services meant to help them once they arrive, including rent support for their initial months. Meanwhile, a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions has blocked other Afghans who had received approval to migrate — and who rightly fear for their safety.
Together the measures have affected about 45,000 SIV applicants ready to fly out of Afghanistan and at least 15,000 qualified refugees, according to the coalition #AfghanEvac. Many of the latter are in Pakistan, which has launched a wave of deportations aiming to push migrants back across the border.
Thousands of other Afghans whose cases are still in the application process face uncertain futures.
This second abandonment compounds the damage to US credibility and standing caused by the first. Allies asked to support the US in future conflicts would surely wonder whether any promises made to them would last past the next election. China and other rivals have gained yet another example to add to their long narrative of US capriciousness and hypocrisy.
More scrutiny of foreign aid, which Trump campaigned on, is fair game. However, a blanket refugee ban is cruel and unjustified, as is the pause in aid to organizations supporting food security, education and other critical services around the world. The US Congress should press the White House to rethink both.
In the meantime, legislators from both sides of the aisle should demand that the administration issue waivers for Afghans who have been properly vetted and approved to come to the US, as well as for the services they require to reach the country and settle down. Other groups no doubt have strong arguments for relief; that is no reason to punish Afghans who face legitimate threats of persecution or even death because of their US ties.
US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz is a decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He surely knows that the world is too dangerous for the US to make its way without friends. If the administration wants to build “peace through strength,” as it says, it should leave no doubt it would stand by those who risk their lives to stand by the US.
The Bloomberg Editorial Board publishes the views of the editors across a range of national and global affairs.
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