US military vets are helping Afghans fight deportation

As a journalist in Afghanistan, Abdul says he helped promote American values like democracy and freedom. That work, he said, resulted in him being tortured by the Taliban after the US withdrew from the country in 2021.

Now he's in California applying for political asylum, amid the looming threat of deportation.

"We trusted those values," he said. "We came here for safety, and we don't have it, unfortunately."

But when Abdul walked into a San Diego court to plead his case, he wasn't alone.

Ten veterans showed up for his hearing – unarmed, but dressed in hats and shirts to signify their military credentials as a "show of force", said Shawn VanDiver, a US Navy vet who founded 'Battle Buddies' to support Afghan refugees facing deportation.

"Masked agents of the federal government are snatching up our friends, people who took life in our name and have done nothing wrong," he said.

Approximately 200,000 Afghans relocated to the US after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, as the US left the country in chaos after two decades fighting the war on terror.

Many say they quickly felt embraced by Americans, who recognised the sacrifices they had made to help the US military and fight for human rights.

But since the Trump administration has terminated many of the programmes which protected them from deportation, Afghans now fear they will be deported and returned to their home country, which is now controlled by the Taliban.

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I think this is the program https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies

4 comments

This sends a clear message, help the US and they will hang you out to dry.
This does not bode well for the US’s ability to exercise soft power in future conflicts.
- The US did the same in Vietnam as well. ALL imperial forces will leave theie collaborators oit to dry the moment it suits them.
As a journalist in Afghanistan, Abdul says he helped promote American values like democracy and freedom. That work, he said, resulted in him being tortured by the Taliban after the US withdrew from the country in 2021.
Now he's in California applying for political asylum, amid the looming threat of deportation.
"We trusted those values," he said. "We came here for safety, and we don't have it, unfortunately."
But when Abdul walked into a San Diego court to plead his case, he wasn't alone.
Ten veterans showed up for his hearing – unarmed, but dressed in hats and shirts to signify their military credentials as a "show of force", said Shawn VanDiver, a US Navy vet who founded 'Battle Buddies' to support Afghan refugees facing deportation.
"Masked agents of the federal government are snatching up our friends, people who took life in our name and have done nothing wrong," he said.
Approximately 200,000 Afghans relocated to the US after Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021, as the US left the country in chaos after two decades fighting the war on terror.
Many say they quickly felt embraced by Americans, who recognised the sacrifices they had made to help the US military and fight for human rights.
But since the Trump administration has terminated many of the programmes which protected them from deportation, Afghans now fear they will be deported and returned to their home country, which is now controlled by the Taliban.
...
I think this is the program https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies
But are they defending the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic?