The Afghan refugee support organization “Afghan IWAK” has announced that the proposed budget by the Donald Trump administration for the fiscal year 2027 could effectively block the legal pathways for Afghan refugees to be resettled in the United States. According to the report, a significant portion of this budget is allocated to deterrent policies such as detention, deportation, and restricting immigration.
The organization emphasizes that these changes come at a time when the processing of Afghan migrants’ cases has already been facing significant delays, and the entry of holders of special immigration visas has nearly been halted. Afghan IWAK states that this situation has raised widespread concerns about the future of Afghan applicants.
In the statement, the organization mentions that if the budget is approved, the Afghan allies resettlement program under the “Sustainable Welcome” initiative will be completely stopped. It also points out that no alternative program has been considered to continue this process, which could create a serious gap in the resettlement process.
Afghan IWAK also reports that in the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2027, no funding has been allocated to support immigration and asylum programs. This move directly reduces the capacity to accept and resettle refugees and further limits the support provided to them.
According to the organization, the new budget priorities have shifted from focusing on humanitarian assistance to concentrating on control policies and deporting migrants. As a result, more financial resources are directed toward managing and restricting immigration rather than supporting refugees.
Afghan IWAK has warned that these changes are not just limited to policy reforms, but they also alter the entire immigration system. While legal pathways may still appear to exist on the surface, access to them will be severely limited or made impossible.
Meanwhile, following a shooting incident by an Afghan refugee against U.S. National Guard forces in Washington, D.C., the Trump administration has implemented stricter policies against Afghan refugees. According to these policies, the process of granting permanent residency and citizenship to Afghans has been suspended indefinitely.
Previously, the Trump administration had also banned the entry of citizens from twelve countries, including Afghanistan, into the United States. These decisions have collectively placed further pressure on Afghan refugees and narrowed legal immigration pathways.
Reports indicate that thousands of Afghan citizens, who are eligible for resettlement as refugees or through special immigration visas, remain in limbo and are still waiting to be transferred to the United States, with their future uncertain.
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