Thousands of Afghans who once supported the U.S. government were promised refuge in the United States after the Taliban took control of the capital, Kabul, in 2021. The Trump administration has broken that promise, leaving Afghan refugees in a state of uncertainty and is reportedly considering deporting them to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.S. government has further harmed Afghans by suspending special refugee resettlement programs and eliminating U.S. foreign aid funding to organizations in Afghanistan. In this episode, we hear from a young woman who the U.S. has left stranded in Qatar with her family and over a thousand other Afghan allies. She talks about the struggles of living in a state of limbo and how she hopes to rebuild her life in the United States. Then, we meet with Rina Amiri, former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, to learn about how the Trump administration's policy shifts have harmed Afghan families, undermined U.S. credibility on the global stage, and enabled the Taliban to impose a gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Timed Takeaways: [06:20] The realities of one family's experience fleeing Afghanistan [10:42] Living in limbo in Camp As Sayliyah [16:31] The shocking possibility that the U.S. might deport Afghans to DRC [20:56] Broken promises and one Afghan's hope to pursue her education in the U.S. [27:19] The toolkit the USG once had, and now dismantled, to support Afghan women and girls [35:25] The Trump administration's brutal betrayal of Afghan allies and its implications for U.S. strategic interests [45:49] How the United States' retreat has empowered the Taliban in its persecution of women [51:31] Roundup: Displacement in the news this week Mentioned in This Episode: <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hearings/budget-hearing-department-state-and-related-programs-0"> Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs</a> - House Appropriations Committee <a href="https://afghanevac.org/primer">Primer: The Ongoing U.S. Betrayal of Afghan Wartime Allies</a> - #AfghanEvac <a href="https://afghanevac.org/cas">Camp As Sayliyah Overview</a> - #AfghanEvac <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/world/asia/afghans-qatar-refugees-congo.html"> Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces Say They're Being Pushed Back to the Taliban</a> – New York Times <a href="https://abcnews.com/International/us-moved-1000-refugees-base-doha-2-years/story?id=131322069"> US moved over 1,000 refugees to Doha base. War has brought it into crosshairs</a> - ABC <a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports-briefs/no-one-cares-about-us-anymore/"> "No One Cares About Us Anymore": How U.S. Aid Cuts Have Intensified the Crisis for Women and Girls in Afghanistan</a> - Refugees International <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2026/04/the-united-states-is-betraying

"You Promised Us Safety.": How the U.S. is Abandoning Afghan Refugees

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