How we Treat the Friends We Invited Matters

Published March 19, 2026

My wife and I recently spent time with dear friends – a retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel and a life-long non-profit international volunteer – who possess more first-hand experience in Afghanistan than almost any couple I know. In recent years, they’ve been in Central Florida living life and recently supporting Afghan allies who risked everything for the United States.

One family’s ordeal serves as a stark illustration of a system failing to support humane standards and promises made; things I hope we all support. These were not individuals attempting to bypass the law; they were eligible for the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) which is a specific, multi-layered federal program created for Afghan nationals who provided “faithful and valuable service” to the U.S. government.

While the 2021 withdrawal evacuated and processed over 70,000 Afghans, flawed execution left many more deserving allies behind. Among those abandoned was this family, whose ties to the U.S. presence placed them in immediate danger. Fortunately, a Christian non-profit recognized the threat and facilitated their escape through Pakistan, eventually securing them temporary refuge in Brazil.

While in Brazil, the family did exactly what the U.S. government requested of everyone like this family: they applied for their SIV. This process involves intense biometric and biographic vetting, including reviews by the State Department. However, the SIV process is notoriously slow, and with their lives in limbo, the family felt forced to take the dangerous path through Central America to the U.S. border.

When the family presented themselves at the border in November 2024 to legally seek asylum, the system prioritized enforcement over their standing as invited allies. It is crucial to understand that in their culture, the daughter and aunt are inseparable members of the immediate family. Because our system defines “family” differently, it creates a brutal rift that intensifies an already harsh reality.

The 30-year-old daughter was immediately taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), where she remained for eight months. Even after their Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) was approved in early 2025 – officially confirming them as “vetted allies” – the government stalled their residency and work permits. Officials claimed that their ability to exercise discretion or make accommodations had been revoked, forcing the application of rigid new policies regardless of the family’s documented service or legal status.

The human cost of this delay was catastrophic. During her eighth month of detention, the daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was only the combination of this terminal diagnosis and a court-awarded asylum grant that finally forced her release for medical treatment.

By late 2025, the “process” turned even more dark. Despite their approved status and the 15-year-old daughter being enrolled in school, the family was instructed to report to ICE. Expecting a routine update, they were instead detained and shipped to a Texas facility for 40 days. After a troubling time with no idea if they would be released, they were simply “dumped” on the street with no resources to return to Florida. The charity of people like our friends helped them return to their home. Luckily, the local teachers were extremely supportive of the returning young daughter.

During this same time for reporting to ICE, the 66-year-old aunt was separated and shuffled between facilities in Florida and Louisiana. The 15-year-old remains traumatized by the image of her elderly aunt being led away in leg irons and waist chains. 

In February 2026, an immigration judge officially approved the aunt’s asylum claim, recognizing the validity of her fear of persecution. Yet, in a move that one would only assume felt like pure malice, the government chose to appeal the judge’s decision. This legal maneuver keeps an elderly woman behind bars in Louisiana, where she has reported different levels of sleep deprivation facilitated by constant music played at all hours. In case you missed the memo, that is typically seen as a form of torture.

Throughout this nightmare, the underlying and recurring theme has been the government’s push for “self-deportation.” At every turn, while sitting in cells, these allies are asked if they want to take the government’s offer to leave the USA and go to other countries including Afghanistan – a country where their service to the U.S. makes them permanent targets for the Taliban.

Simply put, we invited these people. They helped us, and in return, apparently, we continue to treat them not as the friends they were working alongside our forces and non-profits in Kabul, but as the criminals our current policies assume them to be. 

While many details are condensed here for space, this story represents a real dynamic: the fallout that occurs when one administration pivots sharply to counter the policies of the last. I support strict enforcement for those outside designated channels, but I also advocate for a diverse range of legal pathways, including those for long-term residency and work.

The responsible path forward is for the government to honor those already in the process by prioritizing resources to clear the massive backlog. Doing the right thing is rarely cheap, but it is far better than treating vetted allies so poorly that the intended goal is simply to make them leave.

Imagine inviting someone to your table, then pushing them toward the door while claiming you still intend to feed them. For this family, the consequences are far more ugly and permanent than a missed dinner. To treat those who served alongside us with such duplicity is simply not okay.

My good friends in Florida have historically been quite supportive of Republicans, rule of law, and the US government. Currently, they struggle deeply with how their friends from Afghanistan are being treated, as well as how their fellow citizens are actively ignoring such stories. I am not telling you what to do, but it is important to at least know this one specific story.

Supporting secure borders and supporting our vetted allies are not mutually exclusive ideas. You can be hawkish on immigration and still be angered by this story. I am.

And beyond this, let’s see what’s next!

 

J Matt Wallace