Afghan Families Separated During U.S. Withdrawal Still Struggling to Reunite

In August 2021, Tamim Satari raced to Kabul International Airport to escape Afghanistan, having worked as an intelligence officer for the U.S. military. He’d helped coordinate airstrikes against the Taliban, but when the U.S. withdrew, he couldn’t bring his wife and newborn son with him. It was a heartbreaking moment, one he never thought he’d face.

But he wasn’t the only one. Thousands of Afghan families were torn apart during the chaos of the U.S. pullout. Babies were passed through crowds and families scrambled to get through the airport gates.

Fast forward three years, and more than 10,000 families are still separated, including 2,800 children who made it to the U.S. alone, without their parents. Shawn VanDiver, the founder of #AfghanEvac, has been working with the U.S. State Department’s CARE program to help reunite these families.

VanDiver says these people are at risk because they helped the U.S. during the war, and the least we can do is help them reunite. The CARE program has already assisted nearly 200,000 Afghans, but many are still stuck.

Satari tried for years to bring his family over. In 2023, he finally reached out to CARE for help, and in January 2025, his wife Shiba and their son were able to join him in New Jersey. The reunion was emotional Tamim had not seen his son since he was a baby.

Sadly, their story is one of the last family reunions, as refugee programs were frozen after an executive order by President Trump in 2021. Thousands of others are still stuck in limbo, with no way to leave Afghanistan unless they can pay for it themselves. The process is on hold, and many of the families still approved to come to the U.S. are left waiting with their lives in danger.

Some lawmakers argue that these refugees are some of the most vetted immigrants in U.S. history, having undergone thorough background checks, interviews, and medical screenings. Yet, despite these measures, the future of the program remains uncertain.

Satari remains hopeful. He’s building a new life in New Jersey, working a mechanical job, and studying for his real estate license. His journey isn’t over, but he’s holding onto hope for a better future.