Afghan refugees in Iowa told to leave the U.S.
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A volunteer helps an Afghan refugee in Des Moines fill out asylum paperwork in 2022. Photo: Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Afghan refugees in Iowa are receiving emails that appear to come from the federal government ordering them to leave the country immediately, a local advocacy group tells Axios.
Why it matters: The notices have sown fear and confusion among Iowa's Afghan community, many of whom believe that returning to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan would result in their torture and death, Shir Agha Safi, executive director of Afghan Partners in Iowa, tells Axios.
Driving the news: Afghan refugees began receiving emails from the Department of Homeland Security this month notifying them that their immigration status had been terminated and they must leave the U.S. immediately, Safi said.
- "It is time for you to leave the United States," the notice's first sentence says. It later warns of detention, loss of work authorization, and possible prosecution if they remain in the U.S.
- "Do not attempt to remain in the United States — the federal government will find you," an April 6 email obtained by Axios that was sent to an Afghan refugee living in DSM concluded.
Catch up quick: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2023 extended deportation protections for Afghan refugees who fled their homes after the U.S. withdrew its forces from Afghanistan in 2021.
- More than 900 resettled in Iowa, with local organizations teaming up to help them navigate a confusing and arduous process to gain permanent residency.
Zoom in: Many of the roughly 200 people in Iowa who have received notices are not just Afghan refugees but former soldiers who fought alongside U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Safi said.
State of play: Safi believes the notices were likely sent to email addresses provided to a government app that was used to help process refugee applications several years ago.
- Karen Everling, executive director of the World Grace Project in Waterloo, tells Axios she's also aware of several Venezuelan and Haitian refugees who have received similar notices to email addresses provided in the app.
The big picture: Similar DHS notices have been reported in other parts of the country, including North Carolina and Utah, as the federal government moves to close the chapter on temporary Afghan parole.
- They are nearly identical to those reported this month by NBC News in a case where an American-born doctor living in Connecticut was an unintended recipient of the notice.
What they're saying: The notices were sent to known email addresses of immigrants by Customs and Border Protection, DHS said in a statement to Axios.
- Some may have been inadvertently sent to a refugee's U.S. citizen contact, and those issues are being monitored.
- "To be clear: If you are an alien, being in the United States is a privilege —not a right. We are acting in the best interest of the country and enforcing the law accordingly," DHS's statement said.
What's next: Few local support systems remain to resist the deportation efforts, but Safi said his group is working to help families contact advisers to review possible next steps.
- They also ask people to urge their U.S. senators to act because "it could make the difference between life and death for our people," Safi said.