Devi Yop, a special force officer of a retired US Army, was sent to Afghanistan in 2002 to train a new Afghan army during the early days of the war in Afghanistan. He met his then 18 -year -old Afghan translator Amir at the airport on his first day, and says Aamir went four times to save his life.
“Amir dragged me at a mediewack point under the fire,” Yopp told CBS News of one of those examples.
after Withdraw America From the country in 2021, Yopp scrambles Amir to get a special immigrant visa For Afghan colleaguesAamir asked CBS News to hide his real name for security reasons.
“If someone saves your life, your souls are tied together for eternity,” Yop said. “He is like a son to me, really.”
Three years later, Amir’s visa was approved, and he and his family were given green cards. He came to America and settled in Kentkey, reunited with YOPP after 22 years, when he first met in Afghanistan.
YOPP now spends the most days with Amir’s children, calling him “grandfather”.
Thousands of Afghans living in America are afraid of exile after a federal appeal court late Monday night. Refused to freeze The Trump administration tried to end its legal status. Aamir is a special immigrant visa recipient, which we were given to allies that helped during the war. Despite having a green card of him and his family, he is still being sent back, because the White House Has threatened Green card holders also to deport.
Aamir took the risk of Taliban vengeance to help American soldiers, as the work in Afghanistan was rare at that time and the possibility of security abroad was enticing. He told CBS News that in exchange for risking his life, “Your family will go to America. It was promised to all those who work with us”
Amir said that he was hidden for years after his service, until Yop felt betrayed by the US and helped him to secure his visa. Thousands of Afghanistan war veterans across the country have taken themselves to help their translators and other Afghan colleagues have settled safely in the US. But Amir says that it is not the job of the veterans to fulfill the pledge of the government earlier.
Trump administration Has repeatedly targeted Afghan refugees, preventing flights with Afghan colleagues, freezing rehabilitation services, putting in travel ban bannings to Afghanistan, and ending the temporary protected status (TPS) program for Afghan refugees. YOPP states that this is a “moral injury” that giants have to see that this happened to the people who helped him during the war.
As part of the administration’s efforts to abolish the TPS program, Homeland Security Secretary Christie NoM has claimed That Afghanistan is now safe for Afghans to return to rich controversies.
“Okay, if Afghanistan is safe, why are you telling your citizens, ‘Don’t go to Afghanistan?”Do not travel“Advice for Afghanistan.” For me, [it’s] Safe, but for you, [it’s] not safe? I am not sure. “
Amir fears that even as a green card holder, he and his family may be sent back, as the White House has also threatened to deport the green card holders.
These days, he does two work seven days a week to support his family. He says that he would only give Yopp, which is retired in the past due to $ 500 per month.
“It is a slap in the face, in fact, to see the programs that were under influence, to take away,” Yop said.
Aamir said: “Americans should not make a promise with Afghans, and now [you’re] There is a problem for them. So why [did] you make [that] promise?”
