KABUL, Afghanistan -- Afghans who worked for the U.S. military and government are being told that they cannot apply for special visas to the United States, even though Afghanistan is not among the countries listed in President Donald Trump's new travel ban, according to advocates for Afghan refugees.
As of Thursday, Afghans seeking to apply for what are known as special immigrant visas were being told by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, the capital, that applications would no longer be accepted, according to U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.
Officials at the embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. It was unclear if the visa suspension was related to the president's new ban, which, in addition to denying visas to citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries, also orders that the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. be cut by more than half, to 50,000 this year, from 110,000 in 2016.
Shaheen, along with U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has been a strong advocate of the special immigrant visa program, meant for Afghans who face the threat of reprisal for their work with Americans. Its apparent suspension could affect as many as 10,000 applicants.
[U.S. immigration: Data visualization of selectedimmigration statistics, U.S. border map]
"Allowing this program to lapse sends the message to our allies in Afghanistan that the United States has abandoned them," Shaheen said in a statement.
Officials at the International Refugee Assistance Project at the Urban Justice Center in New York said they had learned that as of Thursday, Afghans were being told that applications were no longer being accepted, though the suspension had taken place March 1.
"Our worst fears are proving true," said Betsy Fisher, the group's policy director.
Mac McEachin, another official at the organization, said the decision could affect the 2,500 soldiers of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division who might be deployed to Syria.
[PRESIDENT TRUMP: Timeline, appointments, executive orders + guide to actions in first 100 days]
"Now that the world has seen how we turn our backs on our Afghan allies, there is almost no chance that local allies in Syria will be inclined to work with us," he said.
U.S. military officials are also requesting an increase in troops deployed to Afghanistan.
One of those affected by the shut-off of special visas is Mohammad Nasim Hashimyar, who worked for three years as an interpreter for U.S. Special Forces in Oruzgan province and later for the U.S. Embassy. He lives in hiding in Kabul as he waits for his visa interview, which now appears unlikely to happen.
"It will force me to go through an illegal way to Europe because my life is in danger in Kabul," he said. "I always have a gun with me even though I don't have a license for it."
Shaheen said she would press Congress to renew the visa program and provide more places for Afghan applicants.
Congress recently reauthorized the special immigrant visa program for another four years but only allocated 1,500 additional visas. Advocates estimate that up to 10,000 are needed. McCain and Shaheen tried unsuccessfully to get Congress to authorize 4,000 more such visas.
The president's new travel ban, issued Monday, ordered a 90-day suspension of visas to citizens of six largely Muslim countries: Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Yemen and Libya.
Afghanistan was not included in either of the president's travel bans, but his decision to reduce the overall number of refugees accepted by the United States would affect Afghans as well. Afghans are the second-largest group of refugees worldwide, after Syrians.
A Section on 03/11/2017