U.S. military veterans leading the effort to bring thousands of Afghan refugees to the United States fear the Trump administration’s freeze on asylum cases could leave allies in Afghanistan at risk of retribution by the Taliban — and could also cripple American efforts to recruit allies in future conflicts.
“We have an obligation to these folks,” said Thomas Kasza, a former Green Beret who fought alongside Afghans in the Kabul area in 2019 and 2020. “We have to take care of them.”
The Trump administration paused decisions for asylum seekers in the aftermath of a deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C. An Afghan national has been charged with murder.
Kasza told NPR his Afghan comrades saved American lives while serving in a high-risk unit clearing IEDs and landmines. “The Afghans laid down their lives at pretty much four times the rate a Green Beret did,” he said. “That’s an incredible level of sacrifice.”
After the Taliban captured Kabul in 2021, Kasza was one of the U.S. veterans who scrambled to help America’s Afghan allies escape. His group, the 1208 Foundation, is still trying to rescue roughly a thousand Afghans living under Taliban rule whose family members fought alongside U.S. special forces. “For the guys who are detected, the risk is catastrophically higher,” Kasza said.
Trump condemns and freezes effort to aid Afghan allies
Under the Biden administration tens of thousands of Afghan allies and their families were vetted and allowed into the U.S. But last week, one of those men, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal who worked with and was vetted by the the CIA, allegedly opened fire on two National Guard members from West Virginia.
The attack in Washington, D.C. left 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom dead. Another soldier, 20-year-old Andrew Wolfe, was wounded and remains in serious condition. Lakanwal has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
Hours after the attack, President Trump condemned the Afghan refugee effort. “We’re not going to put up with these kind of assaults on law and order by people who shouldn’t even be in the country,” he said.
“We must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under [former President Joe] Biden,” Trump added, freezing all Afghan asylum claims.
“Everyone is scared”
The attack in D.C., followed by Trump’s suspension of the refugee process, were devastating developments for Afghans who served with U.S. forces before fleeing to the U.S.
“Everyone is scared. It’s so sad. It’s scary,” said M, a woman who worked for the U.S. Defense Department in Kabul before the Taliban takeover.
M agreed to speak with NPR if we only identified her by an initial because she fears the U.S. government could strip her of her legal status. She also fears for the safety of family members still in Afghanistan. M said Afghans who worked with the U.S. who remain under Taliban rule are in grave danger.
“Everyone who associated or worked for the U.S., themself plus their family, are in trouble,” she said.
NPR heard repeatedly from U.S. veterans and Afghans that delays in the refugee process could be deadly for America’s Afghan allies. Mohamed worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Kabul and now helps organize asylum efforts.
“We lost one person, he were arrested by the Taliban and beaten to the death, he died, he lost his life,” Mohamed said. “We have his family. We’re working on their paperwork to bring them over here [to the U.S.]”
Now that process is frozen. Mohamed, too, agreed to be interviewed only if NPR concealed his full name, because he fears for the safety of family members still in Afghanistan.
A troubling signal to future U.S. military allies?
According to Mohamed, if the U.S. leaves behind Afghans who served loyally alongside American soldiers, it would send a grim message to future military partners.
“All the world will identify the U.S. Army like a fair weather friend,” he said. “They just use [people] and after that if their work is done, they just abandon them.”
NPR reached out to the Defense Department to ask how Trump’s freeze on asylum claims for America’s Afghan allies might affect military operations and the effort to recruit allies in future conflicts. A spokesman declined to comment.
But U.S. military veterans leading the Afghan refugee effort say the policy could dissuade future partnerships. “They’re going to point at what has happened with our Afghan allies and say, Hell no we’re not going to help you. Look at what you did,” said Shawn VanDiver, a U.S. Navy veteran with the group Afghan Evac.
That concern was a focus of a Wall Street Journal op-ed by the Editorial Board after the National Guard attack condemning Trump’s freezing of the Afghan refugee pipeline. “You can be sure Americans will fight overseas again, and our troops will need allies on the ground to succeed,” the Journal essay said. “How many will assist us if they believe there will be no exit for them if the U.S. leaves with the enemy triumphant?
Kasza, the former Green Beret, said he too thinks this policy could haunt the U.S., especially front-line special forces units like his own that often rely on locals for intelligence and firepower. “Those future U.S. partners are going to know what is happening today. Everybody who partners with us is going to ask, what happens when America leaves? They’re going to point to this.”
Kasza says he still hopes to convince members of the Trump administration that America’s Afghan allies paid a heavy price helping fight the Taliban and deserve a chance at life in the U.S.
Transcript:
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
What do American veterans think of Trump administration moves against Afghan refugees? The president responded last week after one Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. Trump froze the process under which thousands of Afghans were granted asylum. Many of them had risked their lives to work with the United States, which is why some veterans now feel their allies are being abandoned. NPR’s Brian Mann reports.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: When Thomas Kasza deployed to Afghanistan in 2019 with the Green Berets, he served with a special unit of Afghans clearing IEDs and land mines.
THOMAS KASZA: The Afghans laid down their lives at pretty much four times the rate as a Green Beret did. So that’s an incredible level of sacrifice that was undertaken by those guys.
MANN: After the Taliban captured Kabul in 2021, Kasza was one of the U.S. veterans who scrambled to help Afghan comrades escape. His group, the 1208 Foundation, is trying to rescue roughly 1,000 Afghans still living under Taliban rule whose family members fought alongside U.S. special forces.
KASZA: For the guys who are detected, the risk is catastrophically higher.
MANN: Under the Biden administration, tens of thousands of Afghan allies and their families were vetted and allowed into the U.S. But last week, one of those men, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who worked with the CIA, allegedly opened fire on two National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., leaving one dead, the other seriously wounded. Lakanwal pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges. Hours after the attack, President Trump condemned the Afghan refugee effort.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We must now reexamine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden.
MANN: The attack in D.C., followed by Trump’s freeze on asylum claims, were devastating for Afghans like M, who worked for the U.S. Defense Department in Kabul before fleeing to the U.S.
M: Everyone is scared. It’s so sad. It’s scary.
MANN: M agreed to speak with NPR if we only identified her by an initial. She fears the U.S. government could strip her legal status. She also fears for the safety of family members still in Afghanistan. M says Afghans who worked with the U.S. left behind under the Taliban are in grave danger.
M: Everyone who are associated or worked for the U.S. themself, plus their family, are in trouble.
MANN: NPR heard over and over the delays in the Afghan refugee process could be deadly for U.S. allies. Mohamed (ph) worked as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Kabul and now helps organize asylum efforts.
MOHAMED: We lost one person that he were arrested by the Taliban and beaten to the death. He died. He lost his life. And we have his family that we’re working on their paperwork to bring them over here.
MANN: Mohamed, too, agreed to be interviewed only if NPR concealed his full name because he fears for the safety of family members still in Afghanistan. Mohamed said if the U.S. leaves behind Afghans who served alongside American soldiers, it would send a grim message.
MOHAMED: All the world will identify United States Army like a fair-weather friend. They just use them, and after that, if their work is done, so they just abandon them.
MANN: NPR reached out to the Defense Department to ask how Trump’s freeze on asylum claims for America’s Afghan allies might affect operations in future conflicts. A spokesman declined to comment. But U.S. military veterans leading the Afghan refugee effort say the policy could dissuade future allies. Shawn VanDiver is a U.S. Navy veteran with the group #AfghanEvac.
SHAWN VANDIVER: They’re going to point at what has happened with our Afghan allies and say, hell, no, we’re not going to help you. Look what you did.
MANN: Thomas Kasza, the former Green Beret, says he too thinks this policy could haunt the U.S.
KASZA: Those future U.S. partners are going to know what is happening today. Everybody who partners with us is going to ask, hey, what happens when the Americans leave? And they’re going to point to this.
MANN: Kasza says he still hopes to convince the Trump administration that America’s Afghan allies paid a heavy price, earning a chance at life in the U.S.
Brian Mann, NPR News.
