Church Pleads For Persecuted Christians Facing Deportation
Members of a church in North Carolina are advocating for the Trump administration to halt the deportation of nearly two dozen Afghan Christian refugees, who were ordered to leave the United States before their asylum hearings could take place. Julie Tisdale, a seminary student and member of Church of the Apostles in Raleigh, has been vocal in her efforts, engaging with congressional offices and immigration staff to bring attention to the issue. She noted that her church community has been actively writing letters, making calls, and conducting outreach through the media to raise awareness.
The Afghan Christians, who fled their country following the Taliban’s takeover after the U.S. military withdrawal, had initially been granted legal status, allowing them to live, work, and support themselves in the U.S. Tisdale described their entry into the U.S. as difficult and harrowing, emphasizing that they passed credible fear interviews to obtain legal standing. Despite receiving notices to leave the country within a week, many have remained while church members continue advocacy efforts. Tisdale said that while some outreach efforts have been met with automated responses, there has also been meaningful engagement with officials willing to discuss immigration policies.
Personal relationships within the church played a significant role in connecting these Afghan refugees to the community, as one church member had direct ties to Afghanistan. For over a year, the refugees have been meeting for worship and Bible study, often in their native language, and have largely managed to support themselves without public assistance. Tisdale stressed that the refugees have consistently followed U.S. laws and immigration procedures, and her church is also raising funds to assist with ongoing legal expenses as asylum cases move slowly through a backlogged system.
Following the withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Afghan Christians have been among the vulnerable populations resettled in the U.S., aided by organizations like Samaritan’s Purse. Meanwhile, changes in immigration policy, including the potential end of Temporary Protected Status for Afghans, have heightened the risk of deportation. Leaders like Franklin Graham and Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have voiced concerns, urging delays and reconsiderations for these refugees facing threats of torture or death if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Tisdale warned that deporting these Christians would almost certainly lead to their deaths, given their prior experiences of persecution for their faith. She praised the Afghan believers as peaceful, law-abiding individuals seeking only the opportunity to live freely and practice their religion. Emphasizing America’s foundational ideals of liberty and justice, she called on Christians across the nation to pray and advocate for these refugees, appealing to the government to uphold the rights of those fleeing persecution and seeking a life of safety and freedom in the U.S.