WASHINGTON – Sophia Nyazi’s husband, Milad, shook her awake at 8 a.m. “ICE is here,” he told her.
Three uniformed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were downstairs at the family’s home on Long Island, N.Y., on Tuesday, according to a video reviewed by The Times that she captured from atop the staircase.
Nyazi said the agents asked whether her husband was applying for a green card. They told her they would have to detain him as of the shooting of two National Guard members a week earlier in Washington,D.C.
“He has nothing to do with that shooting,” Nyazi, 27, recalled answering. “We don’t even know that person.”
Her protests didn’t matter. The Trump management has put into motion a broad and unprecedented set of policy changes aimed at substantially limiting legal immigration avenues,including for immigrants long considered the most vulnerable.
“Unluckily, I think the administration took this one very tragic incident and politicized it as a way to shut down even legal immigration,” said Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, of the American Immigration Lawyers Assn.
Milad Nyazi, 28, was detained because, like the man charged in the shooting which left one National Guard member dead, he is from Afghanistan.
The administration has paused decisions on all applications filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, by people seeking asylum. The visa and immigration applications of Afghans, whom the U.S. had welcomed in 2021 as it pulled all troops from the country, have been halted.
Officials also froze the processing of immigration cases of people from 19 countries the administration considers “high-risk” and will conduct case-by-case reviews of green cards and other immigration benefits given to people from those countries since former President Biden took office in 2021.
Immigration lawyers say they learned that dozens of naturalization ceremonies and interviews for green cards are being canceled for immigrants from Haiti, Iran, Guinea and other countries on the list.
[Datawrapper graphic of countries affected by immigration pauses]
Shooting Sparks Renewed Scrutiny of Afghan Refugee Program, Leading to Policy Changes and Detentions
Table of Contents
Washington D.C. – A shooting in Washington D.C. last week,allegedly committed by an Afghan refugee,has triggered a wave of policy changes and increased scrutiny of the program that resettled tens of thousands of Afghans in the U.S. following the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.The suspect, identified as lakanwal, remains in custody and his motive remains under inquiry.In Afghanistan, he served in a counterterrorism unit operated by the CIA.
Lakanwal entered the U.S. in 2021 through a Biden administration program that resettled nearly 200,000 Afghans. He applied for asylum in December 2024 and it was approved under the Trump administration in April, according to the nonprofit #AfghanEvac.
The resettlement effort was predicated on the belief that Afghans who worked with U.S. troops faced danger under the Taliban. Applicants underwent routine security screening, as well as “rigorous” vetting including biometric and biographic checks by counterterrorism and intelligence professionals, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Though,two federal reports from 2024 and this year identified shortcomings in the screening process,including data inaccuracies and the presence of 55 evacuees later identified on terrorism watch lists. The latter report noted the FBI followed all required processes to mitigate potential threats.
the incident has prompted the administration to review the cases of thousands of Afghan immigrants already living legally in the U.S.While stripping legal status is difficult, the threat of reopening cases has caused alarm within immigrant communities.
California, home to approximately 58,600 Afghan immigrants as of 2023 – more than any other state – has seen an aggressive effort by federal authorities to detain recent arrivals, according to interviews with a dozen local advocates, attorneys, and family members.
“Unfortunately, I think the administration took this one very tragic incident and politicized it as a way to shut down even legal immigration. And it’s definitely gone much broader than the Afghan community,” said Sharvari dalal-Dheini,director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Assn.
Trump administration officials have already cited the shooting in implementing a series of policy changes.
On Friday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the establishment of a new Vetting Center in Atlanta to “centralize enhanced vetting of aliens and allow the agency to respond more nimbly to changes in a shifting threat landscape,” utilizing artificial intelligence.
USCIS also announced that work permits granted to immigrants will now expire after 18 months, rather of five years, impacting refugees, those with pending green card applications, and asylum seekers.
Furthermore, a memorandum issued Tuesday outlined a pause on asylum applications and immigration cases for individuals from 19 countries.
Fears Rise Among Afghan Immigrants in Sacramento Following Trump’s Immigration Remarks
Following a Thanksgiving Day post on his social media platform, Truth Social, where former President Donald Trump stated his intention to “permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries” and deport individuals “non-compatible with Western Civilization,” a palpable sense of fear has gripped the Afghan community in North Sacramento. The remarks have evoked painful memories of living under threat in Afghanistan, leading to anxiety and a visible change in daily life.
Trump’s Statements and the Echoes of Afghanistan
On november 23, 2023, Trump outlined his immigration plans on Truth Social. His statements, widely reported by major news outlets like NBC News and The New York Times,have resonated deeply with Afghan immigrants who fled violence and instability to seek refuge in the United States.
Shafiullah Hotak, a 38-year-old Afghan immigrant and former program manager at Lao Family Community Development, described the current atmosphere as reminiscent of the dangers he faced in Afghanistan. “The situation we have in our community reminds me of when we used to go to work in Afghanistan,” Hotak said. “We had to take different routes every day because people who were against the U.S. mission in Afghanistan were targeting people. There were bombings and shootings.”
A Community in Fear
The impact of Trump’s rhetoric is already visible in North Sacramento, an area with a important Afghan population. Reports indicate a noticeable change in the community’s routines:
* Reduced Activity: An Afghan-owned tax and bookkeeping business, usually bustling with clients, had onyl one employee present.
* Empty public Spaces: A local park, typically filled with children and teenagers, was deserted.
* Diminished Commerce: Lines at a halal market specializing in Afghan bread have disappeared.
* Increased Anxiety: Residents are reportedly avoiding public spaces and altering their daily routines out of fear.
Hotak drew a chilling parallel between the threats faced by Afghans who aided the U.S. military in Afghanistan and the current situation. He recalled the advice given to those considered allies: “‘Kill the eyes,'” – a directive to eliminate those providing intelligence or support to U.S. operations. He fears a similar dynamic is now unfolding in the U.S.,with the government potentially targeting afghan immigrants.
Context: Afghan Immigration to the U.S.
The influx of afghan immigrants to the U.S. has increased significantly in recent years, particularly following the withdrawal of U.S.troops in 2021 and the subsequent Taliban takeover. The U.S. government initiated operation Allies Welcome, a program designed to resettle Afghan allies, including interpreters and those who worked alongside U.S. forces. Though,the resettlement process has faced challenges,including bureaucratic hurdles and limited resources,as reported by Brookings.
Furthermore, many Afghans arrived under humanitarian parole, a temporary status that doesn’t automatically lead to permanent residency. This leaves them particularly vulnerable to policy changes regarding immigration and deportation.
Key Takeaways
* Donald Trump’s recent statements regarding immigration have sparked fear within the Afghan community in Sacramento.
* The rhetoric evokes traumatic memories of living under threat in Afghanistan.
* Visible changes in community activity indicate a growing sense of anxiety.
* Afghan immigrants, particularly those who arrived recently through programs like Operation Allies Welcome, face increased uncertainty.
The situation underscores the profound impact that political rhetoric can have on vulnerable communities. As the debate over immigration policy continues, the anxieties of the Afghan community in Sacramento serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of restrictive immigration policies and the importance of providing safe haven for those fleeing persecution and seeking a better life.
Times staff writers Castillo reported from Washington and Hussain and Uranga from Los Angeles.
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