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EXCLUSIVE: As Afghan Christians face deportation, faith leaders urge Trump administration to reconsider

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EXCLUSIVE: Christian leaders say President Donald Trump has a chance to fix a Biden-era mistake by halting deportations of believers facing torture or death.

As thousands of Christians rallied during Holy Week, faith leaders across the U.S. urged Trump to intervene and stop the deportation of Afghan Christians who face near-certain persecution under the Taliban.

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On April 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it would terminate humanitarian parole for Afghan nationals, effectively ordering thousands to leave the U.S. within days.

Though early reporting referred to the change as ending temporary protected status (TPS), internal DHS notifications confirm the affected Afghans were in fact under humanitarian parole. The mislabeling was repeated by media outlets and DHS but has since been corrected in official memos from advocacy groups.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS FOR THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS AMID DEPORTATION PUSH

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The policy shift affects about 9,000 Afghans living legally in the U.S. while awaiting special immigrant visa (SIV) or asylum adjudication.

Among them, according to documents obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, are hundreds of Christians, many of whom converted after the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and now face life-threatening danger under Taliban rule.

Taliban forces take control of Hamid Karzai International Airport after the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 31, 2021. (Wali Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

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«We believe all 9,000 could face persecution upon return to the Taliban, but we are particularly concerned about a group of hundreds of Christians who we believe will face an immediate threat of torture or death,» a coalition memo states.

The document sent to Trump and copied to Vice President JD Vance; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.; and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., asks for a 90-day pause on deportations to allow time for legal pathways or protections.

HOUSE GOP RELEASES SCATHING REPORT ON BIDEN’S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

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Their proposal includes a «vetted and qualified exemptions list,» identifying Christians most at risk to help DHS reinstate humanitarian protections or expedite asylum or SIV review.

One individual on that list, using the pseudonym «Nashinas,» is an Afghan Christian who was tortured by the Taliban in 2021, later resettled in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is now active in his local church. Despite having filed for asylum, he received a formal DHS notice ordering his departure.

The timing of the parole termination during Holy Week has energized Christian leaders in the U.S. and around the world.

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«This isn’t just a legal issue; it’s a moral one,» according to the Enduring Hope Alliance (EHA). «As Christians across the globe reflect on the sacrifice of Christ, we’re being asked to turn away fellow believers facing real persecution.»

Refugees from Afghanistan walk through Washington Dulles International Airport

Refugees from Afghanistan walk through Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., Aug. 31, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The EHA, a coalition of churches, veterans, nonprofits and volunteers formed in the aftermath of the Biden administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, helped rescue and resettle over a thousand Christian converts and allies of the U.S. military. It reports spending millions in private donations and thousands of volunteer hours to bring persecuted individuals to safety.

«This is a moment for the administration to show compassion and leadership,» a source close to the EHA told Fox News Digital. «We’re not asking for open borders. We’re asking for a narrow, temporary solution to protect lives that are clearly at risk.»

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The Aug. 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s Abbey Gate that killed 13 U.S. service members remains a defining failure of the U.S. withdrawal. Faith leaders argue this is a chance for the Trump administration to fix one of the most painful consequences of that Biden-era decision — abandoning persecuted Christians. 

«The Afghanistan withdrawal was one of the darkest chapters in American foreign policy,» said Mike Mannina, a former Bush White House official who helped lead the rescue alliance. He had never spoken publicly about it until now. 

«What followed, though, was one of our finest hours — thousands of everyday Americans stepping up to save lives. I’d hate to see that work undone.»

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Afghan refugee holds baby

An Afghan woman holds a baby on a bus after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Va., Aug. 31, 2021. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Rev. Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritan’s Purse, said he believes there may now be more time to resolve the crisis.

«No, it did not come up at the White House,» Graham said. «But I understand from Kristi Noem — she said that I think it’s July, that the Afghans have till July, or the government will work with them till July to get this work solved. So, it looked like they’re going to be deported maybe as of today. That’s what I heard. But … now [it’s] July. So, they’ve got more time to work out this visa issue.»

DHS has not publicly confirmed any extension. Multiple Afghan Christians received notices giving them seven days to leave the country.

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Independent groups, including the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Human Rights Watch, confirm that Afghan Christians are specifically targeted under Taliban rule. Conversion from Islam is considered apostasy and is punishable by death.

President Trump and Reverend Graham pray

President Donald Trump bows his head during a prayer at an Easter prayer service and dinner in the Blue Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

«Afghan Christians are in a more vulnerable position today under the Taliban than even Christians were under ISIS,» an assessment from Help The Persecuted says.

Advocates say deporting these individuals would violate both U.S. values and international law, which prohibits returning people to countries where they face likely torture or death.

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Josh Youssef, founder of Help The Persecuted, said Trump has a clear opportunity to right a grave wrong left by the Biden administration’s chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. 

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«We know Christians were beaten, imprisoned and even killed by the Taliban,» Youssef told Fox News Digital. «Now, as some of those same people face deportation, President Trump can take a scalpel — not a hammer — and protect those at real risk of death for their faith.

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«This is Good Friday,» he added. «It’s unthinkable to send Christians back to a country where they could face their own crucifixion. We’re asking the president to fix this.»

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Where Sanders and AOC-backed progressive congressional candidate Analilia Mejia stands on key issues

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A progressive candidate backed by champions of the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is close to pulling off an upset victory with votes still being counted in a Democratic congressional primary for a blue-leaning seat in New Jersey.

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Analilia Mejia, a progressive organizer, has a slight lead — nearly 900 votes out of more than 63,000 votes counted — ahead of former Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski in the battle for their party’s nomination in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

Mejia and Malinowski are the leaders among a field of 11 Democratic candidates in the race to fill the seat left vacant after now-Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning the November 2025 gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

The results in the primary showdown are being closely watched by the political world as an early testing ground in the debate between progressives versus the more mainstream elements of the Democratic Party.

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BALLOT BOX SHOCKER IN HIGH-PROFILE DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY

Analilia Mejia, a progressive candidate backed by champions of the left, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is close to pulling off an upset victory in New Jersey. (Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

And a victory by Mejia, who worked as national political director on Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, would be the latest boost for the left against the establishment since now-New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.

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«She stands for a progressive populist economic agenda,» progressive leader Rep. Ro Khanna of California emphasized Friday in a social media post. «She is the future!» 

And Mejia, speaking to supporters on primary night, highlighted that «we have to rebuild our party, we have to rebuild what is happening in our nation. We have to reclaim our democracy. We know that our economy is rigged to suit the billionaires.»

‘FULL-BLOWN BATTLE’ BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES

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Here’s a closer look at where Mejia stands on some key issues.

Immigration enforcement

During her primary campaign, Mejia took aim at President Donald Trump’s unprecedented crackdown on illegal immigration and has called for scrapping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency most visible in the aggressive tactics used in the administration’s massive deportation effort.

«I say abolish ICE now,» Mejia said on the campaign trail in January. «You can’t reform it. It’s not fixable. Get it out.» 

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Analilia Mejia laughing with supporters rallying behind her.

Democratic congressional candidate Analilia Mejia of New Jersey has called for the scrapping of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (Heather Khalifa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Speaking with reporters Friday about her overperformance in the primary, Mejia gave credit to her stance on immigration in the wake of backlash against the Trump administration following the fatal shootings in Minnesota by federal agents of two U.S. citizens protesting immigration operations.

«I think the fact that I was bold and unafraid to speak the truth was incredibly important,» she told reporters. «I think voters feel that they want to have a representative that actually represents them, and they cannot watch what’s happening in Minnesota, what happened in Chicago, what happened in California, what happened in Morristown across this district.» 

Supreme Court

Mejia, like many on the left, has railed against rulings by the conservative-dominated court.

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«The Supreme Court has been captured by right-wing radicals who care more about doing Trump’s bidding than the rule of law,» Mejia charges on her campaign website.

HOUSE GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO JUST ONE VOTE AS JOHNSON SWEARS IN NEW HOUSE DEMOCRAT

She supports «articles of impeachment against Justices Thomas and Alito» for what she says is «their corruption and conflicts of interest.»

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Mejia also backs «term limits for newly appointed Supreme Court justices, a binding code of ethics with real enforcement for all federal judges.»

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Democratic congressional candidate Analilia Mejia of New Jersey supports term-limits for newly appointed justices on the Supreme Court. (Valerie Plesch/picture alliance via Getty Images)

And Mejia says she would support «expanding the courts if necessary to restore balance.»

Student loan debt

On her campaign website, Mejia states, «We’re going to cancel all student loan debt.»

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And she pledges that she’ll «fight to make college tuition free at community colleges and trade schools for everyone.»

Taxes and minimum wage

As part of her «economy for everyone agenda,» Mejia argues, «If you work 40 hours a week, you should make at least $40,000 a year, and you shouldn’t pay a dime in federal taxes on that first $40,000.»

And she highlights that she helped lead the fight in New Jersey to «win the $15 minimum wage.»

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If she makes it to Congress, Mejia says, «with the cost of living rising every day, it’s time to raise the minimum wage at the national level to $25/hour.»

Israel

Malinowski, an assistant secretary of state in former President Barack Obama’s administration who later represented a neighboring congressional district in northern New Jersey from 2018 to 2022 before losing re-election, was considered the front-runner in the race heading into primary day.

But Malinowski was the target of a slew of attack ads put out by a group affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which opposed Malinowski because he said he supports conditions on aid to Israel.

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Tom Malinowski talking on stage at a meet and greet hosted by The League of Women Voters at Caldwell University.

Tom Malinowski was considered the front-runner in the race heading into primary day. (Michael Karas / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The AIPAC-aligned super PAC United Democracy Project dished out more than $2.3 million to take aim at Malinowski, even though AIPAC had previously supported Malinowski in his past congressional elections.

But the strategy may backfire, because Mejia is much tougher on Israel than Malinowski.

Mejia was the only candidate in the race who raised her hand at a forum in January when asked if they agreed with human rights groups who charge Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in its war with Hamas in Gaza.

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Mejia was boosted by the support on the left. Sanders headlined a virtual rally for her on the eve of the primary.

And besides Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, she also was endorsed by a large list of other progressive leaders, including Khanna, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Pramilla Jayapal of Washington State, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

TOP 5 GAME-CHANGERS FROM THE 2025 CAMPAIGN TRAIL

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The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) a leading group on the left, said in a statement that «Analilia Mejia’s momentous showing proves that voters, when given a choice, want Democrats with an inspiring vision who will boldly challenge powerful interests on behalf of working families.»

PCCC co-founder Adam Green, a New Jersey native who knocked doors for Mejia and spoke at a rally with Mejia and Sanders on primary eve, added that primary voters «made clear they want Democrats who will shake up a broken political and economic system – not just be anti-Trump.»

While Mejia was the clear choice of the left flank of the party’s base, the rest of the field appeared to divide the more moderate and center-left vote.

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The primary winner will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held April 16.

Hathaway will be considered the underdog in the race, in the suburban district in northern New Jersey.

Sherrill won re-election in the district in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin by which she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

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But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.

The special election comes as Republicans cling to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House of Representatives.

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Venezuelan opposition leader seized by armed men after being released from jail

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María Corina Machado said Monday that a Venezuelan opposition leader was seized in Caracas shortly after being released from jail.

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Machado wrote in a post on X that Juan Pablo Guanipa, a key ally, was kidnapped by heavily armed men in civilian clothing in the Los Chorros area of the capital.

«We demand his immediate release,» she said.

Alfredo Romero, the president of the Venezuelan human rights group Foro Penal, said 35 political prisoners were released on Sunday, including Guanipa, who was initially arrested in May.

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US MOVES FAST TO REOPEN VENEZUELA EMBASSY AFTER YEARSLONG FREEZE

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and Juan Pablo Guanipa participate in an anti-government protest on Jan. 9, 2025, in Caracas, Venezuela. (Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images)

Reuters reported that Venezuelan authorities were seeking court approval to place Guanipa under house arrest.

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The country’s Public Ministry alleged that he violated the terms of his release but provided no additional details and did not say whether he had been re-arrested.

Guanipa’s Primero Justicia party said on X that he was forced into a silver Toyota Corolla during the incident.

A recently freed opposition figure speaks with families gathered outside a high-security detention facility in Caracas.

Juan Pablo Guanipa, opposition leader and recently released from prison, visits relatives of political prisoners near the El Helicoide detention center in Caracas on Feb. 8, 2026. (Jesus Vargas/picture alliance via Getty Images)

«We hold Delcy Rodríguez, Jorge Rodríguez, and Diosdado Cabello responsible for any harm to Juan Pablo’s life,» the party wrote. «We call on the international community for the immediate release of Juan Pablo Guanipa and for an immediate and unconditional end to the persecution of the opposition.»

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The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH

Rodríguez has been serving as the interim president of Venezuela since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores earlier this year.

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Venezuela’s vice president speaks from the podium during a legislative session in Caracas.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez speaks during the presentation of the 2025 budget bill at the National Assembly in Caracas on Dec. 3, 2024. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images)

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In late January, President Donald Trump said Venezuela was releasing political prisoners at a «rapid rate,» praising the move as a «powerful humanitarian gesture» by the country’s leadership.

An estimated 687 political prisoners remain in custody in Venezuela as of Feb. 2, according to Foro Penal.

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Crisis energética en Cuba: se quedará sin combustible para aviones esta medianoche y se suma un apagón gigante

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El Gobierno de Cuba les confirmó este lunes a las aerolíneas que operan en la isla que se suspenderá el suministro de combustible. Y ya le puso fecha a la sequía de JetFuel: será a partir de esta misma medianoche, en medio de la crisis energética que atraviesan por las presiones políticas y el bloqueo económico impulsados por Estados Unidos.

Además, desde La Habana indicaron que habrá «prolongados apagones» durante toda la jornada, con cortes que llegarán a dejar simultáneamente sin corriente a un 61,5 % de la isla en el momento de mayor demanda energética, según datos de la estatal Unión Eléctrica (UNE).

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Cuba atraviesa una profunda crisis energética desde mediados de 2024, pero el asedio petrolero agravado por el Gobierno de Donald Trump está llevando a cifras récord los apagones, paralizando por completo la economía y disparando el malestar social.

«La aviación civil cubana ha notificado a todas las compañías que ya no habría suministro de JetFuel, el combustible de aviación, a partir del martes 10 de febrero a las 00 (hora local)», indicó a la agencia AFP, bajo condición de anonimato, un ejecutivo de una aerolínea europea.

En principio, la medida tiene vigencia por un mes. Obligará a las aerolíneas que operan vuelos de largo recorrido a efectuar una «escala técnica» al regreso para asegurar su abastecimiento de JetFuel, refirió el ejecutivo. Sin embargo, los vuelos regionales deberían poder continuar sus conexiones con normalidad, precisó la fuente.

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La compañía Air France, por ejemplo, ya adelantó que mantendrá su ruta, con una escala técnica prevista en otro país del Caribe.

Con este panorama, Rusia acusó este lunes a Estados Unidos de asfixiar a la isla. «La situación en Cuba es realmente crítica», declaró el portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov, y ya avisó que trabajan en alternativas para evacuar a los turistas rusos que se queden varados por la cancelación de vuelos.

«Las medidas asfixiantes impuestas por Estados Unidos están causando muchas dificultades al país. Estamos estudiando posibles soluciones con nuestros amigos cubanos, al menos para proporcionar la asistencia que podamos», añadió.

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En tanto, el canciller cubano, Bruno Rodríguez, denunció una «cruel agresión» que busca «doblegar la voluntad política de los cubanos».

«El escenario es duro y reclamará gran sacrificio. Nuestra disposición al diálogo es clara y conocida. Se ha reiterado directa y públicamente», agregó.

México envió este domingo dos buques cargados con 814 toneladas de ayuda humanitaria a Cuba y la presidenta Claudia Scheinbaum se encuentra negociando una eventual entrega de petróleo a la isla sin ser sancionados por Estados Unidos.

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Tras haber cortado los envíos desde Venezuela, el presidente Donald Trump firmó la semana pasada un decreto que indica que Estados Unidos podría imponer aranceles a los países que vendan petróleo a La Habana.

El 31 de enero se registró el máximo histórico desde que Cuba empezó en 2022 a difundir regularmente estadísticas energéticas, con un apagón que llegó a dejar sin corriente de forma simultánea a un 63 % del país.

El Gobierno cubano anunció la semana pasada un durísimo paquete de medidas de emergencia para tratar de subsistir sin petróleo del exterior, cuando la isla apenas produce un tercio de sus necesidades energéticas.

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En ese sentido, La Habana anunció la semana laboral de cuatro días y teletrabajo en las administraciones y empresas estatales, así como restricciones en la venta de combustible, para hacer frente a la crisis energética.

También habrá una reducción de los servicios de autobuses y trenes entre provincias, así como el cierre de determinados establecimientos turísticos.

Las jornadas de clases serán más cortas y las universidades funcionarán en modalidad semipresencial. Estas medidas deben permitir ahorrar combustible para favorecer «la producción de alimentos y la producción de electricidad» y posibilitar «la salvaguarda de las actividades fundamentales que generan divisas», declaró el vice primer ministro, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, en la televisión estatal.

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