Roanoke Times Excerpts: Refugees remain separated from families

by  Heather Rousseau

Below are excerpts shared with permission from The Roanoke Times. Read full article.

Ahmadi worked with the U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan and was granted asylum in the U.S.. She was expecting her parents to finally arrive in the United States through the Welcome Corps program, but plans were cancelled. Photo by Heather Rousseau

Azizgul Ahmadi was devastated when her long-awaited reunion with her parents was canceled.  

After almost four years apart, Ahmadi, a former member of the Afghan military, learned in October last year that her parents were finally cleared to enter the United States and join her in Blacksburg. 

She says her father received correspondence from a U.S. Department of State official to prepare for a flight to the U.S., then the next day, her father, still in Afghanistan, learned that his immigration plans were canceled. 

Through a State Department program called Welcome Corps, and months of security checks and vetting, Ahmadi’s parents had been cleared to enter the United States. An executive order signed last week by President Donald Trump suspended the United States Refugee Admissions Program. 

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“I'm very angry. I'm very sad,” Ahmadi said. “My heart is broken.” 

After fleeing from Kabul amid the fallout of the 2021 Taliban takeover, Ahmadi and her sister secured asylum in the United States. She would not have been safe staying, having aided the U.S. military in tracking down Taliban operatives. 

In Blacksburg, Ahmadi has learned English and works in retail while attending community college, with aspirations to become a nurse. 

“We are a part of the U.S. family,” Ahmadi said. “I try to learn about everything in the United States, and I try to be one part of the United States people.” 

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Ahmadi said she pleads for the United States to help her family left behind in Afghanistan, who are in danger of retaliation from the Taliban. She helped U.S. forces fight the Taliban, and now feels those forces battling to keep her family apart. 

Across Virginia, Commonwealth Catholic Charities said it has welcomed 348 legally authorized refugees since its current fiscal year began Oct. 1. The nonprofit is feeling the impact of the recent U.S. refugee resettlement suspension too, said communications manager Katie Dillon. 

“We have these clients who are here, who were brought here legally, they are authorized to be in the United States," Dillon said. "Now, there's no funding to continue helping them. It's heartbreaking.” 

As a result of its funding being suspended by Trump’s executive order, the nonprofit furloughed 31 of its staff members across Eastern, Central, and Southwest Virginia, including in Roanoke, Dillon said. She hopes it’s just a 90-day furlough, praying that the funding gets renewed after the executive order is reviewed. 

“Beyond just the 348 refugee individuals," Dillon said. "Now there's another 31 families, their lives are just upended right now.” 

She said Commonwealth Catholic Charities needs funding to fulfill its mission. The nonprofit has turned to donors to help plug the gaps where federal funding has dried up. 

Commonwealth Catholic Charities is pushing for donations after the federal government indefinitely paused refugee resettlement programs and contract payments. 

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Donations can be made online at www.cccofva.org/donatetoccc. 

“Refugees are wonderful citizens. They're happy to be here, and they want to be contributing members of our communities,” Dillon said. “Having refugees in our communities makes all of our communities better.”