US Veterans: Afghanistan Refugee Deportations “a Death Sentence”

DIDPress: U.S. military veterans who served during America’s longest war in Afghanistan have issued a stark warning, saying deporting Afghan refugees who sought asylum in the US would amount to issuing a death sentence.

Jason Crow, a Democratic representative from Colorado and a former soldier who served in Afghanistan, expressed serious concerns to The Washington Post about the potential deportation of Afghanistan refugees.

“Some of these individuals were our closest allies — people who truly worked with us and for us,” Crow said. “For many, the only available option was to apply under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. If they are returned to Afghanistan, it will be a death sentence.”

Matt Zeller, a U.S. Army veteran who credits an Afghan interpreter with saving his life during the war, echoed the same concerns. “If they try to deport these Afghans, you’re going to see physical confrontations between veterans and ICE agents,” he warned.

The Trump administration believes that conditions in Afghanistan have improved enough to warrant the return of approximately 10,000 Afghanistan refugees who were admitted under President Biden’s TPS initiative.

According to U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the program may be terminated as early as July.

The report notes that the safety of Afghan refugees could become a politically divisive issue — even among veterans who are typically aligned with former President Trump.