A wave of fear is sweeping through the Bay Area's Afghan-American community, as President Donald Trump's administration has announced an indefinite halt to processing immigration requests for Afghan nationals. The move comes in response to a shooting in Washington D.C., where two US national guardsmen were allegedly killed by an Afghan national with a valid visa.
Community leaders are condemning the shooting, but many are also expressing outrage at the blanket restriction on Afghan immigrants. Harris Mojadedi, a longtime activist, described the policy as "xenophobia" and "racism," warning that it amounts to collective punishment based on identity or nationality.
The Bay Area has one of the largest Afghan communities in the country, with Fremont being home to many residents who have been living in the US for decades. Mojadedi noted that many are already worried about attending grocery stores, mosques, and other public places due to concerns of being targeted by law enforcement.
Professor Nolan Higdon, a political analyst at UC Santa Cruz, pointed out that such policies are unprecedented in American history. "Historically, when someone has committed a crime or been accused of it, people who share that identity have also been demonized in the court of public opinion," he said. "But to raise it to the level of actual stopping people coming to the country, of people of that identity, that is a new escalation."
The halt on immigration processing has sparked concerns about the fate of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers who are already in the US. The Project ANAR organization, which provides legal services for Afghan-Americans, condemned the policy as "undermining the refugee program by wasting resources on re-screening those who have already gone through the highest level of vetting to prove their needs for protection."
Senator Aisha Wahab, whose district includes parts of Fremont, expressed outrage at the policy, stating that it would harm Afghan-American communities and exploit them for political gain. As one of the highest-ranking Afghan-Americans in public office, she vowed to hold elected officials accountable for such actions.
The Trump administration's decision is seen as a thinly veiled attempt to tie the Afghan refugee crisis to President Joe Biden's foreign policy, particularly his withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.
Community leaders are condemning the shooting, but many are also expressing outrage at the blanket restriction on Afghan immigrants. Harris Mojadedi, a longtime activist, described the policy as "xenophobia" and "racism," warning that it amounts to collective punishment based on identity or nationality.
The Bay Area has one of the largest Afghan communities in the country, with Fremont being home to many residents who have been living in the US for decades. Mojadedi noted that many are already worried about attending grocery stores, mosques, and other public places due to concerns of being targeted by law enforcement.
Professor Nolan Higdon, a political analyst at UC Santa Cruz, pointed out that such policies are unprecedented in American history. "Historically, when someone has committed a crime or been accused of it, people who share that identity have also been demonized in the court of public opinion," he said. "But to raise it to the level of actual stopping people coming to the country, of people of that identity, that is a new escalation."
The halt on immigration processing has sparked concerns about the fate of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers who are already in the US. The Project ANAR organization, which provides legal services for Afghan-Americans, condemned the policy as "undermining the refugee program by wasting resources on re-screening those who have already gone through the highest level of vetting to prove their needs for protection."
Senator Aisha Wahab, whose district includes parts of Fremont, expressed outrage at the policy, stating that it would harm Afghan-American communities and exploit them for political gain. As one of the highest-ranking Afghan-Americans in public office, she vowed to hold elected officials accountable for such actions.
The Trump administration's decision is seen as a thinly veiled attempt to tie the Afghan refugee crisis to President Joe Biden's foreign policy, particularly his withdrawal from Afghanistan last year.
This feels like something straight out of "Mr. Robot" 
, where fear and xenophobia can turn into real-life consequences. I'm not buying it - it sounds like a masterclass in scapegoating a whole community for the actions of one individual. It's heartbreaking to think that just because two US national guardsmen were killed by someone with an Afghan visa, the entire Afghan-American community is being unfairly targeted and punished.
only makes it more alarming. What's next? Are we going to see a blanket ban on all Muslims or people of color coming into the country? No, this can't be happening! We need to stand up against such xenophobic policies and support our Afghan-American friends who are already being unfairly targeted.
. If we're going to waste resources on re-screening people who have already been vetted, what's the point of even having one? And what about all the Afghan refugees who are currently living in the US, trying to rebuild their lives? Do they deserve to be kicked out too?
who are willing to stand up for justice and equality. We can't let politicians exploit fear and xenophobia for their own gain! 
. I mean, it's always been about politics and security, but come on! We're talking about people who have already passed vetting, you know? Like, they've already proven themselves worthy of protection. It's just xenophobia at its finest 
. The fact that we're demonizing an entire community because of one bad apple is just ridiculous. And don't even get me started on how this affects the refugees who are already here - it's like, what are we gonna do with them now? Just abandon them? No way, man 
.
what's next? are we gonna ban people from Italy or China too? 
i mean, come on, if someone did something wrong, that doesn't mean we gotta punish the whole ethnicity or nationality right? it's like, personal responsibility and all that jazz 
but seriously, this is xenophobia at its finest 
and what's with all these blanket restrictions? can't they see how it affects innocent people 
like those afghan americans who just wanna live their lives in peace? 
I don't think we should punish an entire community just because of one bad apple. My kid's friend is Afghan-American and they're a great kid 
. We need to be more understanding and welcoming, not xenophobic 
. It's like when my kid did something wrong, I didn't take away their whole childhood, I had a talk with them and helped them learn from it 
. The government should focus on fixing the problems that led to this shooting, not demonizing an entire group of people 
and they're doing it without any concrete evidence or proof that these ppl are a threat 
the afghan community has already been living in the US for decades, some of them for generations 
because of this blanket restriction and no one knows what the future holds for these refugees who are already in the country 
. It's like they're assuming all Afghans are somehow responsible or connected to that one guy who did the shooting 
. Like, they've already proven they need protection from persecution in their home country, but now it's like, "Oh no, you're not safe here either" 
. It's just so... collective punishment-y 
. We need to be careful about how we respond to these types of incidents and make sure we're not unfairly targeting entire communities 
. We're already seeing Afghan-Americans living in fear, worried about going to public places... it's like we've regressed to a state of siege mentality 
with no way in 
i just wish there was more understanding and less fear 
I'm freaking out over this news 
they're already going through so much just to come here and start a new life, now you're telling them that their families are not allowed in?!?! it's like, what even is the point of having a visa if you're just gonna deny someone entry because of one bad apple? 
?
what if the trump admin is tryna distract us from somethin? Theyre sayin its about national security but I call foul 
#RespectForRefugees #NoToXenophobia
I think it's a pretty weak attempt to tie in with Biden's foreign policy, but hey, at least someone's speaking up for the Afghan community 
#JusticeForAfghanRefugees #FairnessMatters
This is getting crazy! The US gov't can't even keep track of who to trust anymore? First, they're kicking out Afghan immigrants and now it's like a wave of fear sweeping through the Bay Area... what's next? 