Evacuation of U.S. immigration case holders from special residences in Kabul

In recent days, several Afghan citizens with pending U.S. immigration cases who were residing in U.S.-funded housing in Kabul have been ordered to vacate these accommodations immediately.

According to reports, these individuals—who have been waiting for relocation to a third country for months—received emails instructing them to leave their residences by March 15, 2025.

Shawn VanDiver, president of Afghan Evac, an organization assisting Afghans with relocation to the U.S., has criticized the move, calling it "premature and shameful."

Posting an email allegedly from the U.S. State Department on X (formerly Twitter), VanDiver wrote: "These Afghans were promised they would soon be relocated to the U.S., but now, before any final decision on their cases, they are being forced out of their housing."

He warned that some of these Afghans are "verified security allies" who had been awaiting travel for their immigration interviews. "There is no doubt that many of them will face certain death," he added.

The leaked email indicates that while the U.S. State Department, through CARE, is providing temporary support for some Afghan migrants, the suspension of relocation from Kabul and the halt of certain immigration programs have left the U.S. government unable to continue housing and related assistance.

The email also states that the March 15 deadline is non-negotiable and emphasizes that this action pertains only to housing and does not affect the status of individuals' immigration cases.

VanDiver noted that this timeline was set by CARE before the policies of the Trump administration were implemented.

In his post, he called out several Republican officials, including Michael Waltz, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, and Kristi Noem, demanding clarification on the decision.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has suspended refugee resettlement programs since taking office, further complicating the situation for vulnerable Afghan allies.