For Immediate Release:
January 22, 2025
Press Contact:
Statement on Trump Executive Order Suspending Refugee Admissions, Impact on Afghans in Vermont
Burlington, Vt – The Vermont Afghan Alliance released the following statement in response to the Trump Executive Order suspending the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program:
“All of us at the Vermont Afghan Alliance are devastated to learn of the Executive Order suspending entry of refugees into the United States under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including Afghan refugees awaiting relocation to the United States.
It has been nearly 3.5 years since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and thousands of Afghans have continued to wait, often in hiding, to evacuate to safety in the United States. Those affected include former Afghan government officials who supported the U.S. government, Afghan prosecutors and judges, family members of U.S. Service members, and more.
Absent an Afghan exception or rapid change in policy, countless Afghans on temporary visas in Pakistan face likely deportation back to Afghanistan and persecution by the Taliban.
What is more, here in Vermont, Afghan individuals patiently awaiting family reunification face the heartbreaking reality that they will not be reunited with family members impacted by this Order.
This Executive Order isn’t just cruel – it’s an unconscionable betrayal. It shatters a sacred promise to Afghan allies who risked everything to support U.S. military and diplomatic missions.”
###
The Vermont Afghan Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization launched in 2022 to support Afghans resettling in Vermont. With support from federal and state partners, the Alliance provides a variety of services including driving lessons, employment assistance, housings, case management, immigration legal assistance and interpretation assistance. The Alliance also provides training on legal rights and civics.
