As the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to provide protection to thousands of Afghan nationals, faith leaders and advocates alerted the potential deportation of Christian converts, saying they face serious persecution under the Taliban rule.
Pastor Behnam Rasooli (known as Pastor Ben) leads the Oklahoma Church in Oklahoma City, a congregation composed primarily of Christian refugees in Afghanistan. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he shared what he called the traumatic claims of the dangers facing the Christian community.
"If any of these Afghan Christians are deported back to Afghanistan, the first thing that will happen is that the husband will be killed and the wife will be treated as a sex slave," said Pastor Ben. "If they don't kill them, they will put them in prison and beat them up every night."
Department of Homeland Security formally terminates Temporary Protection Status (TPS) For Afghan nationalspotentially forcing more than 9,000 people to return to Afghanistan under the Taliban prescribed.
Exclusive: Faith leaders urge Trump administration to reconsider when Afghan Christians face deportation
Pastor Basir is Pastor Ben and a former underground church leader in Afghanistan, baptizing new believers at Khorasan Church in Oklahoma City. The congregation consists mainly of Afghan Christian refugees, including families fleeing Taliban persecution. (Pretty: Horasan Church, Oklahoma)
Secretary of the Ministry of Land and Resources (DHS) Christie calls It is considered as a reason for “improved security situation” and a stable economy.
"This administration is returning TPS to its initial interim intentions," Noam said. "We have reviewed the conditions in Afghanistan with our inter-agency partners, which do not meet the requirements specified by the TPS."
The protected status of Afghans is scheduled to expire on May 20, and the plan will officially end on July 12.
Norm added that the termination of the designation is aligned with the broader goal of the government taking root in fraud and national security threats in the immigration system.
The TPS allows foreign nationals from countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters or other emergencies to live and work legally under then-President Joe Biden, initially designated Afghanistan as TPS after the 2021 Taliban acquisition.
People at risk include members of this pastor’s congregation, and he said many are on a dangerous journey legally. He tells the story of a group he claimed to travel from Brazil to Mexico, which included a 76-year-old woman and a 7-month-old girl who waited ten months in a sanctuary in Mexico to approve legally crossing the border through the CBP One app.
"They've had no food for weeks, they've had no water for weeks, but they're willing to wait, face all these difficulties, and come to the United States with legal status," he said. "Now, with the new administration developing, we've heard that these paroles have been revoked. They don't even provide a work permit."
Christians in Afghanistan face conventional torture, persecution of family members: watchdog groups
Afghans wait outside Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul during the 2021 U.S. evacuation. Many Afghan Christians and allies are seeking help. (Pretty: Horasan Church, Oklahoma)
Fox News Digital contacted the White House about pastors’ concerns and received the following response:
"With the failed evacuation of Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans who illegally parole entered the United States, plus thousands of other foreigners. Parole is a temporary benefit, a temporary benefit, a result of emergency humanitarian reasons or public welfare, and it is not a situation of fear. Shelter and let the court decide the case.
Advocacy groups, including those who persecuted, have petitioned Nom to recognize Afghanistan as a country of particular concern and to allow Afghan Christians and ethnic minorities who are persecuted for their religion or belief, while their sanctuary claims are properly reviewed and processed.
The petition highlights the active persecution of Christians by the Taliban, including arrest at border crossings, torture in detention and the enforcement of laws that make any Christian practice illegal.
Afghan refugees, including the most recent convert to Christianity, worshipped during their service at the Horasan Church in Oklahoma City. Despite the persecution of the Taliban, many congregations face deportation. (Pretty: Horasan Church, Oklahoma)
This pastor urges fellow Christians to unite brothers and sisters.
"They need us to be their voice today," he said. "We have freedom; they don't. We have all the comfort; they don't. But all they want is the church that becomes a part of it."
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He also addressed President Trump directly: "Mr. President, I fully support your deportation program because we don't want criminals to live in the United States, but we have to realize that among the people you want to deport, some are not criminals. Some have people who are killed, imprisoned, imprisoned, lost their wives, lost their children."
"Please, don't let this happen to them," said Pastor Ben. "Let's keep the American Dream alive."
Morgan Phillips of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.