U.S. military veterans leading the effort to bring thousands of Afghan refugees to the United States fear the Trump administration's freeze on asylum cases could leave allies in Afghanistan at risk of retribution by the Taliban — and could also cripple American efforts to recruit allies in future conflicts.

"We have an obligation to these folks," said Thomas Kasza, a former Green Beret who fought alongside Afghans in the Kabul area in 2019 and 2020. "We have to take care of them."

The Trump administration paused decisions for asylum seekers in the aftermath of a deadly attack on National Guard members in Washington, D.C. An Afghan national has been charged with murder.

Kasza told NPR his Afghan comrades saved American lives while serving in a high-risk unit clearing IEDs and landmines

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