Whereas hundreds of unlawful immigrants pour throughout the southwest U.S. border each day, Afghan refugees deserted by the Biden administration throughout the Afghanistan withdrawal are nonetheless struggling to realize authorized entry to the USA.
It had been greater than a 12 months since Hashmatullah Niazy, a U.S. citizen who emigrated from Afghanistan, final noticed his spouse, Freshta, and 4 younger kids once they lastly reunited in Austin, Texas this month.
Niazy grew to become a U.S. citizen in 2020 via the Particular Immigrant Visa program after working as a translator for the U.S. army in Afghanistan. He started translating and coaching recruits on the Kabul Navy Coaching Heart in 2007 after his older brother died in fight whereas working with particular forces. When Niazy obtained his U.S. visa in 2014, he resigned from his job and flew to the states.
Niazy instructed me he wished to deliver his household over with him, however each time he tried to provoke the immigration course of, his spouse was pregnant and wished to keep away from strenuous journey. Freshta and the kids finally joined the backlogged SIV immigration course of earlier than the Taliban took over the nation, however their quest for everlasting U.S. residency was derailed when President Joe Biden initiated the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan final fall.
I first reported on Niazy’s household scenario in September 2021 when his brother, spouse, and children have been all stranded in a Taliban-infested Kabul. On the time, Niazy was already in the USA, working nights and eagerly constructing a life for his household in Texas.
However his pleasure for his household’s new life in America was blunted when he realized they may not make it previous the crowds at Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport in Kabul to get on an evacuation flight out of Afghanistan.
“Instantly the Taliban took over the nation and now we have been like misplaced,” Niazy instructed me.
That’s when “angels from the sky” got here in.
The Escape
After weeks of chaos on the Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport, the place some translators and their households have been among the many greater than 200 folks killed by a suicide bomber on August 26, Freshta and the youngsters, ranging in age from 3 to 12 years outdated, lastly escaped Kabul on the finish of September with the assistance of a giant group of former U.S. troopers, some skilled in particular operations.
Jim Younger, Dan Fickel, Keye Perry, Joe Penkala, and one other man named “Tom,” who remains to be in lively authorities service and declined to present his final identify, all graduated from West Level in 1994. After they noticed the disaster in Afghanistan, they banded collectively to do every thing they might to rescue Individuals and Afghan allies the Biden administration had left behind.
They enlisted assistance from a number of different former service members together with Ryan Timoney, West Level class of 1993 graduate Dave Abrahams, retired Special Forces officer Matt Coburn, former Performing Secretary of Protection Christopher Miller, and Helen Jbeily of California Republican Rep. David Valadao’s workplace to actively shepherd Freshta, her brother-in-law, and her youngsters to the overcrowded, harmful airport for evacuation whereas avoiding the Taliban as a lot as attainable.
I talked to Penkala, a retired U.S. Army officer, concerning the rescue efforts after the Niazy household’s first try to hunt evacuation on the airport.
“We had kind of an up and down kind of scenario, even after we had taken over his case, and had managed to get the household again to [the airport]. And it was via no small effort on the a part of some people from the Particular Operations group, one particular person particularly who was retired,” Penkala instructed me over the telephone. “We truly bought them to the North Gate [of the airport] so that is the second time they’d made it to the airport. And although there was an apparent method to deliver them in, frankly, they have been nonetheless left stranded. No person would open the gate for them although at one level we solely had about 25 folks in entrance of the North Gate.”
At one level, Penkala instructed me that, “the Taliban started beating a number of the native Afghans,” forcing the on-the-ground rescuers to adapt because the Niazy clan retreated to their condo.
Throughout that point, Niazy stated his spouse “by no means misplaced her braveness.”
“There was the time that I misplaced my hope. That was the time when my spouse stated ‘It’s okay. No matter it takes me to get my youngsters to their dad, I’ll try this,’” Niazy stated. “In order that was a time when she gave me the braveness, she gave me the hope and I wanted it.”
Efforts to orchestrate the evacuation of the Niazys and a whole bunch of others from the clutches of the Taliban have been largely funded by one in every of Younger’s enterprise companions, Zekelman Industries out of Texas, which donated $1 million out of the $1.1 million required to reunite the Niazy household and different refugees after one other sponsor backed out.
After days of chaos, the Niazy household and 528 different Americans, authorized everlasting residents, their spouses, and their kids have been lastly capable of flee Afghanistan unhurt.
“We’re so grateful for all these nice people. From God first after which from all these people that helped me and got here into my life, me and my spouse,” Niazy stated.
Evacuation Was Solely The Starting
Regardless that the Niazy household utilized to completely rejoin the top of their family in the USA, it was a protracted and troublesome course of between September of final 12 months and early April this 12 months, once they have been lastly permitted to set foot on American soil.
“This was a household who was already within the course of and had paperwork ready. And, frankly, the spouse was married to a U.S. citizen. That is the quick household of a United States citizen and it took non-public efforts,” Penkala stated. “And as soon as we bought them out of hurt’s method, it took a further 5 months to return into the nation.”
Throughout that point, Freshta and her kids have been at a refugee camp within the United Arab Emirates. Whereas the household was secure from the risks the Taliban posed to them, they have been caught in limbo and on the mercy of the American paperwork.
Penkala stated “there have been some people who have been sort sufficient to work via their connections to get them some extra meals and provides and that kind of factor” however that didn’t assist reunite the household.
Niazy admitted that the expertise induced many “sleepless nights” for him as he anxiously waited for the inexperienced mild. In complete, it took greater than 5 months for Niazy, an American citizen who served with U.S. forces in fight, to legally relocate his spouse and children to Texas.
The American Dream
The Niazy household might have needed to soar via a number of hoops that unlawful immigrants on the Southern border don’t, however a scarcity of assist from the U.S. authorities hasn’t hampered their enthusiasm for the American Dream.
Whereas Niazy works as an engineering technician, Freshta and the kids are acclimating to their new lives together with Niazy’s mother and father, who additionally emigrated to the USA. As soon as the household strikes to a brand new condo, three of the 4 kids will begin attending college.
In simply a few weeks, Freshta and the Niazy kids are anticipated to obtain their Social Safety numbers. However for now he’s grateful that his quick household made it to a free nation the place his daughters can attend college.
“It’s the educating of our mother and father that wherever you reside, deal with it as your house, hold it clear, and hold the setting clear and in addition deal with your neighbors good,” Niazy stated. “With this [Taliban] regime, nobody is joyful and everyone misplaced the hope that [Afghanistan] will ever be a free nation.”
Once I video chatted with the household final week, Niazy had simply woken up after working an evening shift at his engineering job and Freshta was getting ready meals within the household’s condo kitchen. The youngsters have been fortunately chattering with one another as they performed with toys. The youngest one gave me a shy wave.
“This can be a stunning life,” Niazy stated as he bounced his daughter on his lap. “I’m very excited and really joyful. And I’m praying for many who helped me, these stunning people in my life.”
Jordan Boyd is a workers author at The Federalist and co-producer of The Federalist Radio Hour. Her work has additionally been featured in The Each day Wire and Fox News. Jordan graduated from Baylor College the place she majored in political science and minored in journalism. Observe her on Twitter @jordanboydtx.
