A U.S. federal court has ruled in favor of Afghan refugee families, saying that travel restrictions cannot stop them from reuniting with their loved ones in the United States. The decision offers renewed hope to Afghan refugees who supported U.S. forces during the war in Afghanistan and have been separated from their families for years, according to TOLOnews.
According to the U.S. newspaper Stars and Stripes, U.S. District Judge Anthony Trenga ordered the State Department to respond within 15 days to a lawsuit filed by seven Afghan nationals. The court directed the department to issue travel documents for the families of five plaintiffs whose applications had already been approved for entry into the United States.
The ruling also requires the State Department to review the cases of other Afghan families waiting for reunification. Judge Trenga instructed officials to reconsider their travel eligibility without applying the travel restrictions that had previously blocked their entry.
In addition, the court ordered the State Department to submit progress reports every two weeks until the affected families arrive safely in the United States. The decision highlights the court’s effort to ensure that the government follows through with the reunification process without unnecessary delays.
The lawsuit was filed in Virginia in October last year. It names the U.S. government, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as defendants.
So far, the U.S. State Department has not commented on the ruling or announced whether it plans to appeal. For many Afghan families, however, the court’s decision marks a significant step toward ending years of separation and beginning a new chapter together.
