Trump executive orders suspend relocation and resettlement of Afghan allies
President Trump’s Executive Orders on foreign aid and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) have had severe national security consequences, stranding thousands of vetted Afghan allies, both refugees and SIVs, and putting American credibility and strategic interests at risk.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem could – and must – take immediate action to exempt Afghan allies from these executive orders in order to restore order and uphold America’s standing in the world.
Executive Order 14163:
Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program
EO 14163 Pauses all refugee processing and travel globally. All refugees, including Afghans in the USRAP P-1, P-2, P-3, and P-4 categories, including DS-4317 Family Reunification cases, have been paused due to USRAP Executive Order.
This means there is no intake of new cases, no processing of existing cases, and no movement for approved cases.
This includes family members of current U.S. service members; unaccompanied minors who need to be reunited with their family members; women who served as Female Tactical Platoon leaders, judges, journalists, and parliamentarians; members of the Afghan Defense Force who served alongside the U.S. military; and more.
USRAP refugees undergo the most secure immigration screening process in the world. FBI, DHS, DoD, and intelligence agencies vet them multiple times before approval.
These are NOT border crossers—they are legal immigrants with U.S. government referrals.
Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan have had all processing and travel suspended – leaving them in grave danger for even longer.
Executive Order 14169:
Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid
EO 14169 Pauses foreign aid, which has a direct impact on the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Process. While this order does not directly pause the SIV process, it has shut down the support services that enable it to work.
Here’s what is still technically functioning – the actual PROCESSING of SIVs is still ongoing:
Intake of SIV applications
Chief of Mission review and decisions
Visa application and issuance
Because SIV travel is funded by foreign aid, even if an applicant is approved and receives their visa, they can no longer receive funding for travel.
This also means that SIVs already on U.S.-government managed immigration processing sites in third countries are unable to get funded travel to the United States, creating a bottleneck in SIV movement. Since SIVs can’t be easily moved OFF the platforms, the State Department has postponed flights out of Afghanistan TO the platforms – meaning that thousands of our wartime allies remain in danger.
Resettlement Agencies in the U.S. have also been de-funded, so cannot provide critical support services or benefits to SIVs upon arrival to the United States. All refugees and SIV holders who arrived in the U.S. in the last ninety days have had their financial and support services turned off, creating a crisis for newly resettled Afghans.
What’s still working /
what’s not
Enduring Welcome | Relocation Preparation Process
Enduring Welcome | CARE Platforms Process
Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) Process
How to help
Contact your member of Congress today
The Trump Administration must immediately exempt Enduring Welcome-eligible Afghan allies from these executive orders.
Our recent letter to Secretaries Rubio, Hegseth and Noem explains why.
Contact your Member of Congress and tell them to insist that the Trump Administration keep the promise we made to our Afghan allies.
Find your Member of Congress here
Contact your State and Local elected officials and ask them to pass our resolution supporting Enduring Welcome.