Afghan refugees in limbo: what's next for allies who served the U.S. military?

Trump administration policies have left about 40,000 Afghan refugees who served the U.S. military in limbo. The Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program has been paused under Trump's executive order, leaving Afghan allies as targets of the Taliban. In Rochester, the nonprofit Keeping Our Promise has expedited its work to resettle refugees, but that work grows more difficult by the day. This hour, we discuss the state of the SIV program and how it's affecting Afghan refugees who were approved to come to Rochester. Our guests:

•Ellen Smith, executive director of Keeping Our Promise
•Stephen Cady, veteran and volunteer with Keeping Our Promise

00:00 Introduction
03:02 Current state of SIV (Special Immigrant Visa-holders) resettlement
05:36 Veterans’ perspective on Afghan allies
09:12 Debate over taxpayer funding for SIVs
11:43 Role of Afghan Evac Coalition
15:11 Addressing SIV vetting concerns
19:49 Principle vs. National Interest in SIV Policy
22:48 Should SIVs Stay in Afghanistan?
25:10 Listener feedback on SIV policy
29:02 ZK’s journey to Rochester
32:37 ZK’s work with U.S. Forces
37:19 ZK’s life in Rochester and future hopes
41:05 Importance of Afghan allies’ skills
46:14 Keeping our promise’s needs
49:04 Veterans’ views and political shifts

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