Primer: The Ongoing U.S. Betrayal of Afghan Wartime Allies

For twenty years, the United States asked Afghans to stand with us. They served as interpreters, journalists, civil servants, women’s rights advocates, and partners in the fight against the Taliban. We promised them protection under U.S. law and moral obligation.

That promise is now being systematically dismantled.

Since January 20, 2025, nearly every legal pathway relied upon by Afghan wartime allies has been suspended, hollowed out, or functionally erased. Refugee processing has been halted. Family reunification has stopped. Evacuees already vetted and relocated by the U.S. government are being detained, stranded, or threatened with return to Taliban rule.

This primer lays out, in plain language, who our Afghan allies are, what the United States promised them, what has been broken, and what is at stake if this betrayal continues. It is not a policy disagreement. It is a test of America’s word.

AfghanEvac exists to make sure that promise is kept.