Rahim Yar Khan, Sindh, Pakistan. Wazir Khan Zadran, an Afghan asylum-seeker, and his family arrived in Kentucky nearly four years ago following the United States military withdrawal from his home country. Now, he harbors significant concerns about the future of his children, particularly his daughters, should they be compelled to return to Afghanistan. The Trump administration has announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghans in July, escalating the threat of forced repatriation to Afghanistan, where the Taliban govern under their interpretation of Islamic law, if their asylum cases prove unsuccessful.
“The future of children is bright here and they can study here, they can have a good future here. If we go back to my country, they are not good, especially for the girls,” Zadran stated. “They cannot go to school, they cannot go to university, they can do nothing. So, I hope they will do some things for the refugees of Afghanistan.”
Zadran, a former tribal leader, had actively fought against the Haqqani network, a powerful faction within the Taliban, two decades ago. In 2021, he and his family were airlifted by Americans to the Kabul airport for their journey to the US. His eldest daughter, Zuleikha, is currently preparing for college next year, but without permanent status in the US, the specter of deportation hangs over her. The Zadrans’ asylum application remains pending, affording them the right to stay in the US until a final decision is rendered on their case.
TPS is a designation available to individuals already in the US who cannot safely return to their home countries due to armed conflicts, natural disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. The Trump administration has moved to terminate this status for approximately 14,600 Afghans, as well as hundreds of thousands from Venezuela and other nations. “I discuss with my girls that you are lucky that you are here, that you are going to school, then you will finish school and go to college,” Zadran said. “But if we were in Afghanistan, they will not have this right. Their future will be dark. But, in my country, the future of girls is so dark, it’s so bad for them.”
The Taliban administration has prohibited girls over the age of 12 from attending school and women from university, and has imposed restrictions on women traveling long distances without a male guardian. The Taliban maintains that it respects women’s rights in line with its interpretation of Islamic law. Zuleikha Zadran expresses happiness at graduating from high school and proceeding to college with a scholarship, despite her underlying fears. “Lately, I have been worried because people are saying that those without documents might be deported,” she commented. “I am scared that it will make my future dark, but even with that fear, I am proud of what I have achieved. And I am full of hope for what’s ahead.”
The Trump administration has stated that Afghans in the US can still pursue asylum claims. “Although TPS was terminated as required by law, any Afghan who fears persecution is able to request asylum,” said Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, adding that those whose TPS is revoked can apply for financial assistance to resettle elsewhere.
‘Really Worried’
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, over 70,000 Afghans entered the US under former President Joe Biden’s ‘Operation Allies Welcome’ initiative following the Taliban takeover in 2021. More than 300 of these individuals settled in Bowling Green, an agricultural and manufacturing city that has historically welcomed refugees from various nations, including Cambodians, Bosnians, and Congolese.
Unlike some other immigrant communities, Afghan families in Bowling Green are focused on building their lives in the US, with their investments and aspirations firmly rooted there. The Habibi family, for instance, purchased a home in the city. Wahida Habibi is fluent in English, enjoys a wide local social circle, works at a bakery with her husband, and welcomed a baby boy two years ago.
Zadran, meanwhile, is employed at a car dealership and is actively learning the business with the aim of opening his own soon. His primary grievance is the slow pace of obtaining legal status, a process he initially anticipated would take less than a year. “And the last three years … I was like what’s going on?” Zadran remarked.
Shawn VanDiver, the founder of #AfghanEvac, the leading coalition of veterans and advocacy groups that coordinated Afghan resettlements with the US government, urged Republicans to challenge Trump’s stance to prevent Afghans from being forced to return to a country where their lives are at risk. “The Taliban hasn’t changed. The threats haven’t changed,” he stated. “The only thing that has changed is the guy who sits behind the Resolute Desk.”
Individuals involved in Afghan resettlement efforts confirm that the fear among the community is palpable. “The immigrant community, and especially the Afghans who have resettled a couple of years ago are really worried with all that’s going on with immigration,” said Albert Mbanfu, executive director of the International Center of Kentucky, which assists in refugee resettlement. Mohamed Azizi, another Afghan asylum-seeker, expressed his stress. “We worry because right now the situation in my country is so bad and we worry about going back and starting life from the beginning,” Azizi said.
