More than 1,600 Afghans who qualify to enter the United States as refugees will be blocked from entry after Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday night indefinitely suspending all refugee resettlement to the United States.

A leading refugee resettlement activist and a U.S. official who has spoken with Afghans said the decision caused alarm among potential Afghan refugees, including hundreds of family members of active-duty service members and those waiting to be reunited with family members already in the United States. Reunion of children. The Guardian requested anonymity.

They say many applicants are at risk and have time-sensitive reasons to leave the country or neighboring Pakistan because of past ties to the United States. Refugees eligible for resettlement will be removed from flight lists leaving the region for the United States starting Jan. 27, following an executive order issued by the White House on Monday night.

That leaves supporters of Afghan refugees a week to lobby for a separate executive order or amendment to exclude them from the ban.

The decision could reverse commitments made to Afghans by multiple administrations, including Trump and former President Joe Biden, to recognize those who aided U.S. troops before the U.S.-backed government collapsed in 2021 and the Taliban swept across the country and NGO people back in power.

"We can't leave these people behind, right? These people are hiding out there," said Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran and founder of AfghanistanEvac, a group that advocates for evacuation and resettlement Afghans at risk. “There are potentially tens of thousands of people whose lives are at risk because of their ties to the United States.”

U.S. officials have noted a marked increase in concerns among Afghans awaiting resettlement since Trump was re-elected as president in November and laid out a clear platform to crack down on legal and illegal immigration.

"The failure to protect our Afghan allies sends a dangerous message to the world: America's commitment is conditional and temporary," Afghanistan Evac said in a statement after the executive order was issued. "This decision undermines global trust in our leadership and jeopardizes future alliances."

Senior members of the Trump administration, including incoming national security adviser Mike Waltz, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, have been outspoken supporters of the resettlement plan. But other Trump aides, including immigration skeptic Stephen Miller, have been outspoken opponents of nearly all immigration.

Reuters first reported on the threats facing thousands of Afghans eligible for resettlement under the program.

An executive order issued by the White House titled "Realigning the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program" suspends the admission of refugees into the United States under the program effective January 27 and will prevent the submission of further applications.

Under the only exception to a blanket ban, the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security can jointly decide to admit refugees on a case-by-case basis.

Most Afghan citizens eligible for refugee status have passed background and security checks and have either been placed on resettlement flights or are in the final stages of checks, including in-person interviews.

Vandiver said he spent much of Inauguration Day Monday fielding worried calls from members of the resettlement program and had to charge his phone six times. "People were freaking out," he said.

According to the U.S. State Department, the United States has resettled more than 190,000 Afghans since the Taliban returned to power. Afghans who receive refugee status often work for U.S.-run NGOs or are employed by the U.S. military or other elements of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, but not long enough to qualify for special immigrant visas.

Those affected by Monday's order include more than 200 minors who have relatives in the United States and are eligible for resettlement under the family reunification program.

It does not affect those who qualify for a Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) under a separate program for those with long-term service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Vandiver said his organization lobbied lawmakers and the incoming Trump administration not to include Afghans in a blanket refugee ban before the decision was made. "President Trump has said many times (that the withdrawal is chaotic) and now it's up to him to finish moving these people to safety," Vandiver said.