Veterans Sound Alarm as CARE Program for Afghan Allies Faces Shutdown Under Trump Budget

Veterans groups are raising alarms after a leaked White House budget proposal suggested shutting down the CARE program, which supports Afghan allies waiting for relocation to the U.S. The Office of Management and Budget’s April 10 proposal recommended using the program’s remaining $600 million to wind down operations entirely by the end of fiscal year 2025.

While the State Department hasn’t confirmed whether these funds will help relocate more Afghans or just dismantle processing centers in countries like the Philippines, Qatar, and Albania, a spokesperson emphasized that no final decisions have been made and that CARE is still supporting Afghans already moved to these overseas sites.

Veterans and advocates are not buying any sense of finality, though. Many argue that ending CARE would not only tarnish America’s reputation, but also break promises to Afghan partners who put their lives on the line. Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, called the relocation program the “safest, most secure legal immigration pathway” and pointed out that Afghans coming through CARE are business-starters and job creators—something you’d think the U.S. would want, especially during a labor crunch. Maybe our immigration debates need a little more pragmatism and a little less political ping-pong?

VanDiver didn’t shy away from criticizing the Biden administration for slow processing, especially in Pakistan, where 10,000 vetted Afghans are stuck because the U.S. hasn’t kept its promise to move them quickly. He suggested that Trump has a chance to deliver where the last administration dragged its feet—maybe even be a hero for veterans and allies alike by keeping America’s word.

#AfghanEvac’s open letter to senior officials noted that over 250,000 Afghans remain stuck in the pipeline, waiting for a lifeline that keeps stretching further away. Andrew Sullivan of No One Left Behind emphasized that there’s bipartisan support for keeping CARE alive; he called ending the program an insult to those who have been fighting to uphold the U.S.’s promises.

On the ground, Sullivan has met Afghans who’ve survived Taliban brutality—paralysis, torture, and more. He warned that thousands still face these horrors, especially those whose parole or temporary protected status has recently been revoked in the U.S. If the program is dismantled, Sullivan says, tens of thousands could face the same fate.

Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, summed it up starkly: sending Afghan allies back would be a "death sentence." The Taliban, he said, have a track record of hunting down those who helped the U.S.—and there’s no reason to expect mercy now.

With the fate of so many allies in limbo and a program that’s become a political football, veterans, advocates, and refugees are all left wondering: will America keep its word, or is this just another chapter in the long saga of broken promises?