The browser you are using is not supported. Please consider using a modern browser.

Skip Navigation
Act Now Donate
Start of main content.

News // Refugee Resettlement

Global Refuge on CNN: We Must Protect Afghan Allies

July 29, 2021

Krish O’Mara Vignarajah is the president and chief executive of the Global Refuge. She previously served as a senior adviser at the State Department and as a policy director in the Obama administration. This Opinion piece originally appeared in CNN on July 28, 2021.

Sohail Pardis was on his way to pick up his sister in Afghanistan’s Khost province for the upcoming Eid celebrations marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan. What was supposed to be a joyous occasion turned into a horrific nightmare as he reached a Taliban-controlled checkpoint along his route to Kabul. As CNN reported Friday, villagers witnessed Taliban militants drag Pardis out of the vehicle and behead him.

This abhorrent act of violence was far from random — Pardis was one of the thousands of Afghan interpreters and allies who served alongside US personnel during two decades of war in Afghanistan. As a result, they and their family members live in constant fear of persecution, torture, and murder at the hands of a vengeful Taliban with growing power as the American withdrawal reaches 95% completion…

Read the Full Piece on CNN

Take Action For Afghan Allies

Visit our online hub to learn more about the dangers facing Afghan allies, our advocacy to protect them, video resources, and ways you and your community can make a difference.

Take Action

Make a Donation

Thanks to a matching gift from a generous Global Refuge board member, your gift today will go so much further. Every dollar will be doubled, up to $10,000 providing much needed assistance for our Afghan friends.

Give Now

The Latest

  • Advocacy

    October 15, 2026

    Why TPS for Ukraine Must Be Extended or Redesignated

    Dire conditions in Ukraine make the country unsafe to return to, necessitating the extension or redesignation of TPS for Ukraine.

    Read More

  • Press Release

    October 13, 2026

    New DHS Rule Puts Refugees on a 10-Day Clock to Save Their Status

    The Department of Homeland Security formally announced an interim final rule, which will take immediate effect upon its publication, cutting the time refugees have to contest the termination of their status to 10 days.

    Read More

  • Press Release

    October 2, 2026

    Global Refuge Deeply Disappointed by the FY2027 Determination on Refugee Admissions

    Global Refuge today voiced its opposition to the Fiscal Year 2027 presidential determination, which sets the U.S. refugee admissions ceiling at 17,500 and directs that those places go primarily to Afrikaners from South Africa.

    Read More

  • Press Release

    October 1, 2026

    Refugees and Legal Immigrants Lose Health Coverage as “One Big Beautiful Bill” Cuts Take Effect

    Starting October 1, refugees, Afghan allies, Ukrainian parolees, and survivors of torture and human trafficking who are living in the United States legally are no longer eligible for Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

    Read More

  • Press Release

    September 26, 2026

    White House rescinds nearly $1B in federal funding, despite congressional approval

    Most of the cancellations target federal programs serving refugees, unaccompanied children, and other humanitarian populations.

    Read More

Related Posts

News · Refugee Resettlement

Helping Refugee Families Access Healthcare

August 30th

More

News · Refugee Resettlement

Six Congregations Unite Under One Mission: To Honor Our Nation’s Promise to Allies

January 8th

More

News · Refugee Resettlement

Looking Back on 2023

December 20th

More

Share