In the tragic aftermath of an Afghan man shooting two National Guard members, President Donald Trump has quickly worked to make it exceedingly difficult for Afghans to enter the United States. Trump has slowly been working to eliminate Afghans from entering the country for months now. Back in June, the administration put Afghans on a travel ban, yet exceptions could be found for certain people.
Now, in the wake of this tragedy, many of those exceptions have been done away with. According to the White House, Afghans will now not be allowed to settle in the United States. This has left many refugees who are in the middle of resettling incredibly confused about what their options are — especially for those who have already been vetted and approved, yet haven’t entered the country. Even Afghans already living in the United States are worried about their future.
Even more concerning is that many Afghans who worked with the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan appear to be left behind — and possibly left in a dangerous situation.
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Military Veterans Defend Afghan Allies
Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the National Guard shooting suspect, reportedly worked for a CIA-backed paramilitary group in Afghanistan for more than a decade. He was extensively vetted before he entered the United States in 2021, even though the Trump administration is trying to say he wasn’t.
Lakanwal worked with the CIA and helped the U.S. military fight the Taliban for more than ten years. Now, because of his actions, many Afghans — including those who helped out the U.S. military — are being blamed and kept from entering the United States.
This has left many Americans, particularly military veterans, outraged. How could the U.S. betray those very people who helped them out in Afghanistan for so many years? Many Green Beret veterans publicly condemned this move by the Trump administration, stating that Afghans who helped the U.S. are now targets for the Taliban. Staying in Afghanistan, because Trump has eliminated their choice to come to America, is a death sentence.
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Europe Rallies Around Ukraine Amid Trump’s Potential Betrayal
Unfortunately, this is just the latest sign that the Trump administration doesn’t care about betraying once loyal allies, whether it’s Afghan nationals or the entire country of Ukraine.
A leaked call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders has confirmed that Europe feels betrayed by the Trump administration, especially now that Trump is working for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine without Kyiv’s involvement.
During this call, European leaders warned that the United States could “betray” Ukraine. For many, this isn’t a shock. What is intriguing is how a president who demands loyalty from everyone never gives loyalty himself.
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