Overview

• Trump signed a June 5 proclamation banning nationals of 12 countries, including Afghanistan, from entering the United States.
• The order halts visa processing for an estimated 10,000–20,000 Afghans who served U.S. forces, media outlets and humanitarian groups.
• Many of those affected are stranded in Pakistan and Qatar after the administration suspended refugee admissions in January 2025.
• Pakistan’s deportation campaign has intensified, raising the threat of immediate forced returns to Afghanistan.
• Advocates warn that Taliban policies—such as barring girls from education after sixth grade—compound the dangers facing those abandoned by U.S. pledges.