On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending the arrival of refugees in the United States, including those who had already been approved and were about to come to America. Thousands of people are now wondering what this means for them and their loved ones waiting in limbo.
For one Afghan refugee in Idaho, this means a reunion with his wife and two young children has been put on hold. The man, who will remain unnamed for fear of putting his family in danger, resettled here three and a half years ago. He served in the military alongside U.S. allies, and fled Afghanistan in 2021 when the Taliban came back into power. He’s been waiting for his family, now in Pakistan, to join him ever since. A day after they were finally issued visas to the U.S., he found out their arrival was indefinitely suspended.
Read the full transcript below.
Idaho is for me, same like my own town. Four seasons, mountains, rivers. And I love Idaho because of that. And also I have lots of friends here now, kind of family and [in] bad days they stood with me so I have plan to stay in Idaho. Yes.
Honestly, coming to United States, it's not easy for all the refugees. You have to do a lots of requirements before coming to United States, like a medical checkup, you have to go for X-ray and vaccinations. They did all requirements. And they did interview and they did medical checkups, background checks, documents checks, marriage certificate, the kids’ birth certificates. So everything was very good. And they got approval on that day and they gave it to them, a paper by the name of “Congratulations. your visa is approved.”
That was very excitement time for me and for my kids and my wife, because we wait from 15th August 2021 until now, which is three and a half years. And I was excited and I was ready to bring some grocery to home and I went to Walmart. My daughter, she is big fan of, I don't know, the cartoon by the name of Cocomelon something. She is big fan of that but unfortunately the toy's not available in Pakistan or Afghanistan. She said “Buy for me the Cocomelon” and I bought the Cocomelon at home, and she's always talking with me on the phone and she's saying “Show to me that Cocomelon toys.” Now she's waiting when she's coming to United States to play with that toys. So these things, probably small for someone, but makes every human emotional.
Unfortunately, the day after that, I got the news about the suspension of new administration. And honestly, I spent two days in home shocked, just thinking about what will happen next. Thinking financially. Thinking being alone my wife over there. About my people and about my kids. And I try to find some answer to my kids because one day before I said for them “You guys ready? You are coming to the United States.” And how I have to make excuse for them that your flight is postponed.
If you’re father or if you’re mother, if you have family, if you’re feeling for the humanity, you can feel the kids’ feelings. And right now it's the kids, they are in trauma, in bad situation.
My son, he's eight years old and he's asking about what's going on. I made the excuse. I said “the situation is now the weather is not good in the United States.” And he's saying “Okay, I heard about LA. LA is going something wrong?" I don't know why, he's a big fan of weather, so always he's following the weather on the iPhone. He said “I saw the New York weather is also not good. Probably it's a good decision to stay a little bit in Pakistan, to see the weather is what will happen.”
Being far away from kids. It's very hard, especially being a father. You cannot show yourself always sad to your kids. You have to make a fake smile for them.
I don't have power, so I just stay strong and wait for the family. I know it's very hard. It is very, very hard. But it will be happen by the people, if people support us. We have same blood, same skin, same height, same nose, same minds. So same feeling. There is no difference.
End Transcript.
Since the collapse of the Afghan government following the occupation and chaotic withdrawal of the United States, about 97,000 Afghan refugees have resettled in America, according to the U.S. Department of State. There are currently around 3,000 Afghan refugees in Idaho.
“Providing safety and new opportunities to people fleeing persecution is also a key promise of our nation,” wrote Tara Wolfson, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees.
“Idaho families who have been waiting for years to reunite with their relatives – some in the final stages of resettlement – will now have to wait even longer, with their loved ones facing dangerous situations in third countries.”
Under Trump’s executive order, the secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State will submit a report every 90 days assessing whether resuming refugee admissions is in the interest of the United States. The order took effect on Monday, Jan. 27, but agencies report cancelled flights as soon as it was issued. The order does not affect the status of refugees already settled in the country.
