They are writing a letter to the President.
Over a dozen prominent Christian leaders have appealed to President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to safeguard Afghan Christian refugees who may soon face deportation from the United States.
In a letter released Friday, the signatories commended the administration for making religious freedom a top foreign policy priority and urged it to extend that commitment by ensuring the safety of Afghan Christians—an especially at-risk religious minority. They emphasized the need to prevent these individuals from being sent back to a nation where they could face severe persecution or death due to their faith.
The letter was spearheaded by Myal Greene, President of the Christian humanitarian group World Relief, and signed by notable figures including Brent Leatherwood of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Ryan Brown of Open Doors US, Travis Weber of the Family Research Council, and Tim Goeglein from Focus on the Family. Other signers included Brian Orme of Global Christian Relief and Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion & Democracy.
The group warned that Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, remains one of the most dangerous countries for Christians, where converting from Islam is treated as apostasy—punishable by imprisonment or even execution. They pointed to recent cases of Afghan Christians who came to the U.S. after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 now being ordered to leave, with some given only a week to depart voluntarily, even though asylum processes typically take years.
Calling these orders a denial of due process, the leaders argued that forcing deportation would expose the individuals to life-threatening dangers and represent a moral failure in America’s commitment to defend persecuted believers worldwide. The letter stated that upholding religious asylum for these individuals aligns with both American principles and the administration’s stated goals.
“Afghan Christians deserve protection, and honoring their request for refuge is both a humanitarian obligation and a reinforcement of America’s stance on religious liberty,” the letter read. “We respectfully urge the administration to offer these individuals the opportunity to remain safely in the U.S.”
This call to action follows the Department of Homeland Security’s recent announcement that it would not extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for many Afghan nationals, a designation first granted in 2022 after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Without TPS, thousands could be subject to deportation starting in May.
Travis Weber of the Family Research Council cautioned against letting broader immigration reforms endanger protections for religious minorities. “Maintaining access to refugee and asylum programs for those fleeing religious persecution is vital,” he said. Weber also emphasized that anti-Christian discrimination must be addressed in both domestic and international refugee systems.
In Raleigh, North Carolina, nearly two dozen Afghan Christian refugees who attend Church of the Apostles were recently told to leave the country within a week. In response, Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, said he was aware of the situation and had discussed it with Senator Lindsey Graham and other officials. According to him, deportation deadlines were extended to allow for case reviews.
“These people legally entered the U.S., and many have already endured torture simply for converting to Christianity,” said Julie Tisdale, a seminary student at Church of the Apostles. In a published opinion piece, she highlighted the difficulty of gaining legal entry and how the U.S. vetting process already evaluates threats of persecution.
Customs and Border Protection declined to comment on specific deportation cases but clarified that recent parole terminations did not apply to individuals admitted under humanitarian programs such as Uniting for Ukraine and Operation Allies Welcome.
Local church members and national Christian organizations continue to press the administration to allow Afghan Christians to remain in the U.S. until their asylum claims can be properly evaluated.