Congressional Republicans Move to Slash Afghan Visa Program
More than 140,000 Afghan war allies remain in limbo as lawmakers push cuts, citing vetting concerns and travel ban revival.
WASHINGTON — More than three years after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, tens of thousands of Afghan allies remain stranded, facing Taliban reprisals at home and an increasingly narrow path to safety in the United States.
The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, once a cornerstone of the U.S. promise to wartime partners, is facing significant cuts. A new House appropriations bill, shaped by Republican lawmakers, eliminates a planned expansion of 20,000 visa slots and shortens the program's duration. The move comes as more than 140,000 Afghans remain in the SIV pipeline, with at least 50,000 nearing final approval. Just 10,000 visas are currently available.
Further complicating Afghan prospects is Executive Order 14161, widely interpreted as a modern version of the former administration’s travel ban on Muslim-majority countries. The order could block even fully approved applicants from entering the U.S. legally.
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Supporters of the rollback argue it’s a necessary course correction. “I think while Tom Homan's trying to get the country back on track with deportations, I think you do limit, not just Afghans, but anybody,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.. “It's a new day now with who's coming in this country and who's leaving the country? It's good to put a pause on it.”
When I asked if he believed it was fair to impose these restrictions on people who had protected U.S. lives during the withdrawal, Norman responded, “Well, it's hard to decipher between the two. But there's been Heroes on both sides.” Pressed further on whether he considered those Afghan allies to be heroes, Norman repeated, “I said, there's been Heroes on both sides. So, I mean at this point, at this stage of the game, it’s the best thing to do.”
Other lawmakers echoed concerns about the vetting process. “Well, I mean, look, I think we, we've got to tighten down on visas. And I think some of some of that certainly includes Afghanistan,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas. “And frankly, there was a lot of abuse. Of the — we them call them SIVs. We had people that were coming through in that program, and people that were released in the United States that may not have been always the great patriots who are sitting alongside of our great men and women in uniform.”
Roy added, “So, look, I think we need to get that right, and I think it is appropriate for us to be constraining visas right now. After the abuse of the Biden Administration. (I’m) certainly open, having conversations about these people who have certainly stood alongside our men and women in uniform. But man, you gotta really have real thorough vetting and that was not clear that that was being done. Or, in fact, it's very clear it didn't have sufficient vetting all the time right by the Biden Administration, so I know that's part of the conversation.”
These statements come despite deep military representation in Congress, where 100 members — 80 in the House and 20 in the Senate — are veterans. The high number has raised questions among critics about why a legislative body with such direct ties to military service has not mounted stronger resistance to the program's dismantling. Some legislators, like Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, brother of Marcus Luttrell, also a Navy Seal, have privately stated how he and his brother were saved by Afghanis, a source told Migrant Insider.
Until recently, vetted Afghans were processed through U.S.-run “lilypad” bases overseas, such as the one in Qatar. That infrastructure has since eroded. Around 1,200 Afghans — many of them women’s rights advocates and family members of U.S. troops — are now stranded at a former American military installation in Qatar. Their processing was halted in January when the refugee resettlement program was suspended, freezing plans for resettlement mere days before their scheduled departures.
Applicants to the SIV program undergo extensive vetting, including military confirmation and counterterrorism background checks. Nonetheless, skepticism persists among some lawmakers regarding the adequacy of the system.
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Adding to the crisis, the U.S. government has canceled all USAID contracts related to Afghanistan, halting critical humanitarian assistance including food distribution, health services, and development aid.
Although a federal court recently ordered the administration to admit around 12,000 already-approved refugees, the effect of that ruling remains uncertain in light of the reinstated travel restrictions. Without urgent congressional intervention, many face indefinite delays — or worse.
Many of those still waiting once served alongside American forces as translators, intelligence officers, and combat personnel. For these allies, who risked their lives for U.S. operations, the legal and political gridlock is more than a matter of bureaucracy — it is a matter of survival.