For the first time under a new volunteer initiative, San Diego veterans were at an immigration court Wednesday to support an Afghan refugee — a former journalist who fled the Taliban.
The program, called Battle Buddies, was launched by two nonprofits: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and #AfghanEvac. It comes just after a former Afghan interpreter was arrested by immigration agents following a hearing in June.
Shawn VanDiver is the co-founder and president of San Diego-based #AfghanEvac.
"All this is, is veterans showing up — clearly marked as veterans — standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our wartime allies as they face their day in court as they fight for their lives and our country," VanDiver said Wednesday outside the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Building in downtown San Diego. "Just like they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with us in their country."
Jonathan Liu served with the Marines in Afghanistan as a fire support officer. He served alongside Afghans in the Helmand Province, he said.
"These were people who fought for us — they put their lives on the line," he said. "We shouldn't be turning our backs on them."
On President Donald Trump's first day back in office his administration froze all asylum travel and refugee resettlement, stranding thousands of Afghans vetted and approved by the state department to resettle in the U.S.
Over the last six months, several Biden administration programs and policies meant to help Afghans have either been canceled or allowed to expire.
In July, the state department closed the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts. It also canceled Temporary Protected Status for Afghans, which allowed thousands to live and work legally while their asylum cases worked their way through courts.
Army veteran Monique Labarre said the Department of Homeland Security's treatment of Afghans isn't right.
"Many have been detained even though they followed the legal process," she said. "I'm here to say that's not right, and I'm standing up for them."
The former Afghan journalist made it out of his Wednesday hearing without incident, VanDiver later told KPBS.
