MATSUI AND COLLEAGUES CALL ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO STOP TARGETING OF AFGHAN NATIONALS

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) and Congressmen Jason Crow (CO-06), Scott Peters (CA-52), Seth Moulton (MA-06), and Derek Tran (CA-45) led a group of 61 total lawmakers calling on the Trump administration to stop pushing divisive policies that unfairly target Afghan nationals.

In their letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the lawmakers noted that the Trump administration's policies will "scapegoat all Afghans and entire nationalities" and put at risk vulnerable Afghans who stood alongside the United States and seek a life free of the Taliban's repression, discrimination, and violence.

Following the shooting of Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe and tragic death of Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, the Trump administration moved to close nearly all legal pathways Afghan nationals have to resettle in the United States. Included within that change is the suspension of the longstanding Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, which is open to those who fought alongside American forces in Afghanistan. Their decision is among other deeply troubling actions taken by this Administration like terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, indefinitely pausing all refugee resettlement, including Afghanistan in a blanket travel ban in June, and eliminating a travel ban exception for Afghan SIV holders effective January 1, 2026

"The horrific actions of one individual should not be used to vilify every individual from Afghanistan who legally seeks to live in the United States. Afghans who enter the country with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), with humanitarian parole, through the refugee resettlement process, or who claim asylum, are subject to a thorough vetting process that can take months to years," wrote the lawmakers.

"Exploiting this tragedy to sow division and inflame fear will not make America safer," the lawmakers continued. "Abandoning those who made the courageous choice to stand beside us signals to those we may need as allies in the future that we cannot be trusted to honor our commitments. That is a mistake we cannot afford."

We have seen the fallout of these actions directly in the Sacramento region. In the direct aftermath of President Trump and Secretary Noem's intensified xenophobic rhetoric about immigrant communities, NorCal Resist and members of the Afghan Community reported multiple Afghan asylum applicants were targeted and detained by ICE. On December 5, Congresswoman Matsui, alongside partners from NorCal Resist and CAIR-SVCC, went to the John E. Moss Federal building in downtown Sacramento to condemn the Trump Administration's actions and push back.

Congresswoman Matsui and her staff have worked diligently in assisting constituents with Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) applications. Earlier this year she led a letterwith 42 lawmakers expressing serious concern over the significant and harmful impact of Trump's executive orders to halt refugee processing and admissions and upend the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program for our Afghan allies. Additionally in 2021, the Congresswoman introduced the Afghan and Iraqi Allies Resettlement Improvement Act. This bill would allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to include SIVs as part of its annual survey of refugees, as well as direct the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of State to create programs to employ SIVs.

A copy of the letter is HEREand below.

Dear Secretary Rubio and Secretary Noem:

We write with concern regarding the Trump administration's response to the horrific shooting of two members of the National Guard on November 26, 2025.

We share our condolences with the loved ones of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and pray for Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe's continued recovery. There is no acceptable justification for the use of violence. We wholeheartedly condemn the shooter's actions and expect that he will be held accountable for his actions to the fullest extent of the law.

The horrific actions of one individual should not be used to vilify every individual from Afghanistan who legally seeks to live in the United States. Afghans who enter the country with a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), with humanitarian parole, through the refugee resettlement process, or who claim asylum, are subject to a thorough vetting process that can take months to years. Many Afghans continue to face persecution from the Taliban, live in dangerous conditions, or are separated from loved ones as they wait for this process to be completed. Individuals are already vetted through numerous interagency databases including through the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Counterterrorism Center.

The decision to immediately cease processing all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals, including those eligible for SIVs, risks the lives of Afghan allies who fought and served alongside American servicemembers. This decision follows actions by the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, to indefinitely pause all refugee resettlement including Afghans under Priority-1 and Priority-2 categories, to include Afghanistan as one of an original 19 countries on a travel ban, and to seek to deport individuals legally in the country through humanitarian parole programs. Closing every avenue for Afghan nationals - including those who directly supported our mission and troops on the ground in Afghanistan - to seek safety in the United States is wrong.

The administration has further paused all asylum decisions for asylum seekers in the United States, announced it would review immigration applications granted for people from countries included on the travel ban list, including Afghanistan, since January 2021, eliminated a travel ban exception for Afghan SIV holders, and publicly floated calls for "denaturalization" or "remigration." Once again, this administration has embraced a sledgehammer rather than a scalpel. Collective blame is dangerous, reactionary, and short-sighted.

Exploiting this tragedy to sow division and inflame fear will not make America safer. Abandoning those who made the courageous choice to stand beside us signals to those we may need as allies in the future that we cannot be trusted to honor our commitments. That is a mistake we cannot afford.

We made a promise to our Afghan allies who bravely stood alongside us during 20 years of war and to those who legally seek a life free of the Taliban's repression, discrimination, and violence. The administration's response will put those most vulnerable at greater risk, and we urge you to rescind policies that scapegoat all Afghans and entire nationalities for one man's actions.

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