“When I got the visa, I was ecstatic. I had [lots] of plans for the future ... It felt like life was about to begin again.”
— Hajimurat Safari
Four years ago, the seizure of Kabul changed everything. For Afghan allies like Hajimurat Safari, who had worked shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. missions, it marked not just the collapse of a government but the unraveling of safety, stability, and any sense of a future.
Hajimurat’s journey to safety wasn’t quick, and it wasn’t easy.
In 2021, when the Taliban overtook the Afghan government, he was already living in Turkey. Years earlier, he had served as a guard with a U.S.-based construction company operating out of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. But after a traumatic car accident in 2017, which left half his body paralyzed, Hajimurat’s life changed drastically. Unable to work and in need of intensive physiotherapy, he sought treatment abroad.
In Turkey, he juggled medical treatment and work at a fruit production company to cover costs. In 2024, he returned to Afghanistan to get married.
“It was difficult to go back,” Hajimurat says. “The Taliban were there. Life was impossible. When I arrived at the airport, they interrogated me just for not having enough beard. Even that is not a choice anymore.”
His wife, once a student, could no longer attend school. Forced to stay home, fully veiled, she — like so many Afghan women — saw her future shrink before her eyes.
But there was a glimmer of hope: Hajimurat’s Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) was approved. Following advice to leave Afghanistan for safer, more affordable processing, the couple moved to Tajikistan. There, they awaited their visas and dreamed of the life ahead.
“I can’t say how excited I was when I got the visa,” he said, smiling briefly before emotion welled in his eyes. “I wanted medical attention ... I wanted to go back to the way I was before the accident. I wanted to work. We both wanted to stand on our feet again.”
Despite receiving his visa in April 2025, the U.S. resettlement program had come to a halt, ending support for refugees and Afghan SIV holders. With no financial or logistical support for travel, Hajimurat and his wife took out a loan to make the journey themselves.
“Everything had stopped,” he recalls. “But we had to try.”
Starting Over — and Finding Support
When they arrived in the United States in April 2025, Hajimurat’s uncle picked them up from the airport. With Reception and Placement (R&P) funding largely suspended, many self-traveled SIV holders relied on friends and family for transportation and temporary shelter while they figured out next steps.
A few days later, his uncle brought them to the one place known to Afghan newcomers across borders — Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSSNCA).
“LSSNCA is so famous,” Hajimurat says with a laugh. “I heard about it when I was still in Tajikistan.”
At the LSSNCA office, he was welcomed by the intake coordinator and quickly began navigating paperwork, accessing public benefits, and starting the slow but steady work of rebuilding his life.
But like many Afghan allies who self-traveled after January 2025, Hajimurat is now stuck in a void — one created by the suspension of the R&P program and the loss of structured support for many seeking safety.
LSSNCA Hasn’t Forgotten the Promise
Thanks to generous community support, LSSNCA continues to serve walk-in SIV clients like Hajimurat. Currently, a narrow group of individuals is once again eligible for limited R&P services.
LSSNCA continues to provide legal aid, employment assistance, access to public benefits, and other vital services — doing everything possible to honor a national promise to those who served alongside the U.S. military during its mission in Afghanistan.
“I want to work. I want to live. I just need medical attention, a place to live — a chance,” Hajimurat says simply.
Stand With Afghan Allies. Help Us Fulfill the Promise.
Four years after the seizure of Kabul, Afghan families like Hajimurat’s are still arriving — still hoping. But they need more than hope.
They need you.
Your donation helps LSSNCA continue providing essential support — from legal services and housing referrals to employment coaching and health care navigation.
Donate now to help fulfill the promise.
Let’s ensure that A Promise Made becomes a promise kept.
