We Must Keep Our Promises to Our Afghan Allies
We recently gathered for a conversation that felt both urgent and long overdue. Alongside our partners at World Relief and our friends at Afghan Evac and We Choose Welcome, we talked about what’s happening to Afghan allies, and what’s at stake if we don’t pay attention.
You can watch the full conversation below.
Here’s what we don’t want to forget once the video ends and the headlines move on.
This Is About a Promise
At the center of the conversation was a simple question: How did we get here?
In August 2021, more than 82,000 Afghans were evacuated during Operation Allies Welcome. Many had served alongside U.S. forces as interpreters, partners, and leaders. They were promised safety. But today, many are still waiting.
Some are here in the U.S., navigating complicated systems with no clear path to permanence. Afghans in the U.S. who had Temporary Protected Status (TPS) lost their work authorization in 2025 and are in danger of deportation. We have stood in support of several legislative efforts to give them a pathway to status, including the Enduring Welcome Act and Afghan Adjustment Act. Yet, these neighbors of ours are still living in limbo and fear.
Others never made it here at all.
The Families Still Waiting
Now, reports are indicating that more Afghan Allies need us to stand with them now. The U.S. government is considering a plan that is putting our allies in harms way.
More than 1,100 Afghan allies remain on a U.S.-managed base in Qatar. These are not strangers. They are women who served in the military. They are Judges, journalists, and families connected to U.S. service members. Nearly half are children. Many have already been vetted. Others are simply stuck in process—not denied, just waiting. They are in limbo because of U.S. decisionsn.
What’s Being Proposed by the Administration Now
Reports suggest a plan to relocate these families to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Let’s be clear. This is not a real resettlement plan. It is a refusal plan.
Families would be asked to choose between returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Because of their association with U.S. military action in the U.S., this could be a death sentence for them. Their other option is being sent to a country facing its own severe humanitarian crisis. Afghanistan is facing the worse refugee crisis. The DRC is right behind them at number 2. We would be sending our allies back into danger either way.
That’s not a meaningful choice.
What We Can Do Right Now
This is where we come in. The most important next step is simple: use your voice. We’ve made it simple for you to contact your representatives and stand with our Afghan Allies.
When you click the link, you’ll be asked to enter your address. From there, the tool will quickly identify your elected officials and give you the option to call or email them in just a few clicks.
You’ll also find a ready-to-use script that reflects both the urgency of this moment and the values we hold as people of faith: honoring our promises, protecting those at risk, and advocating for just and compassionate solutions.
If calling feels intimidating, you’re not alone. The tool is designed to make it simple, clear, and doable. You don’t have to say it perfectly. You just have to say it.
Why This Matters
Several themes rose to the surface in our conversation.
Credibility. Future allies are watching. If we don’t stand by those who stood with us, what message does that send?
Responsibility. The U.S. brought these individuals into its care. Responsibility does not disappear when the process becomes complicated.
Faith. As people of faith, keeping our word matters. Advocacy is not separate from discipleship. It’s part of it.
This is not just policy. It’s integrity.
Keep the Conversation Going
After you take a few minutes to call or email your representatives, don’t stop there.
Watch the conversation above. Share it with a friend. Text it to your group chat. Bring it up at church or around your table. Advocacy grows when more voices join in. We were told recently by an elected official that if their offices get 30 individual calls a day about a particular issue, this signals them to bring this up as an issue of concern in Congressional conversations. You may feel like your call doesn’t matter. It does! Be one of those 30 people calling the office today!
These are not abstract policy decisions. These are people who trusted us, served alongside us, and are still waiting on us. Keeping our promise to them isn’t a one-time action. It’s a commitment.
And this is one way we live it out—together.
