Believers Community News

AFGHAN CHRISTIANS ARE FACING DEPORTATION FROM AMERICA

Members of Apostles Raleigh, a conservative Anglican church in North Carolina, are urging Congress to stop the deportation of 22 Afghan Christians in their congregation. One member, Nashinas, fled Afghanistan in 2022 after being tortured by the Taliban for his Christian faith. Now living in North Carolina, he recently received notice from the Department of Homeland Security that his humanitarian parole has ended, giving him just seven days to leave the country.

Church members believe this is an unintended consequence of the Trump administration’s broader effort to limit temporary immigration programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and humanitarian parole. Julie Tisdale, a member of the church, said they are not trying to oppose the administration’s policies, but want to protect people who genuinely face danger.

Advocacy groups, including Samaritan’s Purse, World Relief, and Global Refuge, are working to delay deportations and push for passage of the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would offer a path to permanent residency. Franklin Graham confirmed that high-level conversations are happening in Washington.

Nashinas has applied for asylum and has upcoming court dates. “If I go back to Afghanistan, it’s a suicide mission,” he said. Supporters say the U.S. has a moral obligation to protect allies like him.