As many as 9,000 Afghan refugees are at risk of deportation, as the Trump administration has ended the temporary protected status (TPS) that allowed them to stay in the U.S. legally. The White House says their country is no longer dangerous for them, a contention that confounds Afghanistan watchers.
"It's a death penalty for them if they return," said Zia Ghafoori, who worked as an interpreter in combat with U.S. Army Special Forces from 2002 to 2014.
Ghafoori was received by President Trump at the White House in 2019 and became a U.S. citizen in 2020.
"He's a big supporter of our veterans and that's what we love about the president," Ghafoori said. "Maybe he's not aware how the policy is going to affect our Afghan allies. I don't know what's happening behind the scenes."