The Betrayal of Afghan Allies: When Political Courage Succumbs to Fear

The Tragic Turning Point

The collapse of bipartisan support for Afghan allies represents one of the most disturbing political reversals in recent memory. In 2021, as Kabul fell to the Taliban following the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal, Republicans in Congress were among the most vocal advocates for providing sanctuary to Afghans who had risked everything to assist American forces during two decades of war. These lawmakers pressed vigorously for the expansion of the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program, insisting that the United States honor its moral obligation to those who fought alongside our troops.

Today, that courageous stance has evaporated. The triggering event was a devastating incident in which Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan man evacuated by the U.S. military in 2021, was charged with shooting two National Guard members in downtown Washington just before Thanksgiving, killing one and severely wounding the other. Though Lakanwal entered through a different program—the Biden-era parole system that allowed temporary stay while applying for permanent residency—the political fallout has been catastrophic for the SIV program.

The Program and Its Promise

The Special Immigrant Visa program was established as a lifeline for Afghans who faced almost certain death for their collaboration with American forces. Since 2021, the United States has allowed more than 190,000 Afghans to settle in the country, some through the SIV program with its rigorous vetting process that required background checks, biometric screenings, interviews, and written recommendations from top military or diplomatic officials.

Just months before the shooting, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers had been pressing for an additional 20,000 visas, emphasizing in a May letter that the program included “rigorous vetting” and was critical to providing “a lifesaving path to safety for Afghan nationals who face deadly retribution as a result of their work alongside U.S. troops, diplomats, and contractors.”

The Political Abandonment

The shooting shattered this bipartisan consensus with alarming speed. President Trump declared that the United States “must now re-examine every single alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan” during the Biden administration. The administration subsequently halted the SIV program, closing the last legal pathway for Afghans to enter the country.

What followed was a deafening silence from Republican lawmakers who had been leading advocates for Afghan refugees. Representative Michael McCaul of Texas acknowledged the political damage, stating that while the program isn’t “dead on arrival, it’s severely damaged now.” He added, “It’s just hugely unfortunate, because they fought alongside our military. They are veterans.”

Yet there has been no move by the Republican-led Congress to scrutinize the administration’s decision to suspend the visas or attempt to force their resumption. This inaction represents a profound failure of legislative oversight and moral courage.

The Human Cost of Political Cowardice

This abandonment transcends mere political maneuvering—it represents a fundamental betrayal of American values and those who risked their lives for them. The argument that one tragic incident should derail an entire program that has saved thousands of lives is not only logically flawed but morally bankrupt.

Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado who worked closely with Republicans in 2021 to push for robust resettlement programs, articulated the devastating reality: “There are Americans alive today who would not have come home had it not been for Afghans who stood and protected them.” He correctly identified that Republicans have lost sight of Congress’s role to “be a check on the presidency, regardless of whether the president in office is your party or not.”

The comparison drawn by Representative McCaul is particularly illuminating: “We’ve had veterans in the past who have created horrific acts of violence, like Tim McVeigh, Lee Harvey Oswald. But we don’t condemn the whole community. What it’s doing is it’s basically saying that all Afghans are terrorists. And they’re not.”

This precise reasoning—which would have been unanimously endorsed by Republicans before the shooting—now appears to have been abandoned for political expediency.

The Principle Over Politics

As a firm believer in democratic principles and American values, I find this reversal not just disappointing but dangerous. The foundation of our republic rests on the idea that principles transcend politics, that certain commitments are too sacred to abandon for temporary political advantage.

The Afghan allies who qualified for SIV visas underwent some of the most rigorous vetting processes in our immigration system. They provided written recommendations from military leaders, submitted to biometric screening, and endured thorough background checks. To abandon this program because of one incident is to abandon the very concept of proportional response and reasoned policy-making.

Senator Susan Collins of Maine struck the appropriate balance when she noted that while more vetting might be needed, “there were an awful lot of Afghans who were invaluable in assisting our troops and helping to keep them safe.” This measured approach—addressing security concerns while honoring our commitments—is what statesmanship looks like.

The Dangerous Precedent

The collapse of support for the SIV program establishes a dangerous precedent that should alarm every American who believes in this nation’s values. It suggests that our commitments are conditional, that our word is only good until the first sign of trouble. This undermines not just our moral standing but our practical security—what allies will trust American assurances in future conflicts if they see how easily we abandon those who fought with us?

Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts offered the bluntest assessment: “They’re pretty much done having conversations. They won’t do anything to go against Trump, and they don’t mind if our Afghan allies die in the process.”

If this assessment is accurate—and the evidence suggests it is—then we are witnessing not just a policy failure but a fundamental corruption of political courage. The role of legislators is to exercise independent judgment, not to follow political winds regardless of moral consequences.

The Path Forward

The solution is not complicated but requires political courage that appears to be in short supply. The SIV program should be reinstated with any additional vetting procedures that security professionals deem necessary. The parole program that brought Lakanwal to the United States can be reviewed and strengthened without abandoning the entire framework of sanctuary for our allies.

Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma suggested a temporary pause to “get ahold of the people that came here through the SIV program” and ensure they have adequate support. This reasonable approach acknowledges security concerns without abandoning our allies entirely.

What we cannot accept is the complete abandonment of those who risked everything for American troops and American values. The message this sends to the world is that America’s word is temporary, that our commitments expire when they become politically inconvenient.

Conclusion: Honor Our Promises

The betrayal of Afghan allies represents more than a policy failure—it represents a crisis of character in American political leadership. The principles that should guide our nation—honor, courage, commitment—have been sacrificed at the altar of political expediency.

We must demand better from our leaders. We must insist that promises made to those who fought alongside our troops are promises kept. We must reject the dangerous notion that one tragedy should undo years of lifesaving work.

The Afghan allies who qualified for SIV visas represent the best of what America stands for—courage, partnership, and shared sacrifice. Our treatment of them will define not just their futures but our character as a nation. We must choose honor over fear, principle over politics, and courage over convenience. The soul of our nation depends on it.