In 2025, immigration enforcement and its escalating violence have ignited significant conversations across the nation, threatening vulnerable populations.
Among those feeling increasingly targeted are Afghan-American refugees in San Diego, many of whom have experienced tremendous hardship and chaos before seeking safety in the United States.
The Trump administration’s announcement in May to revoke Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for thousands highlights a renewed sense of threat for these communities.
This decision could leave many Afghan-Americans at risk of harassment, persecution, and deportation, specifically affecting an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 individuals who fled upheaval in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
As Homayra Yusufi, a senior policy strategist at the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans (PANA), emphasizes, this population is substantial in San Diego.
“There’s a long history of Afghan migrations coming into San Diego and making this our home,” Yusufi stated, remembering her own journey to the U.S. as a child from Afghanistan.
Since the fall of Kabul, a large influx of Afghans has settled in the region, many applying for asylum while relying on TPS as vital protection during the often lengthy adjudication process.
The decision to revoke TPS has instilled “great fear” within the Afghan community, according to Yusufi.
“This fear is particularly driven by the fact that many Afghans here have worked with the U.S. military or are journalists and human rights advocates,” she explained.
With many holding their breath over their uncertain futures, Yusufi expressed frustration over the betrayal felt by those who were promised safety by the U.S. after the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban regime.
From 2010 to 2022, the Afghan immigrant population in the U.S. saw an astounding growth from approximately 54,000 to 195,000 individuals, quadrupling during a time when overall immigrant growth was a mere 16%.
As the community expands, Afghan-Americans have become more visible, coinciding with an atmosphere of rising hostility towards immigrants and people of color in public discourse.
Tammy Lin, a supervising attorney at the University of San Diego Legal Clinics’ Immigration Clinic, noted that the rhetoric from those amplifying hateful messages is profoundly affecting her clients’ daily lives.
“Some of my clients are so scared that they avoid leaving the house, fearing they have become targets,” Lin lamented.
This fear sends waves of anxiety through the Afghan community, with many individuals experiencing a constant sense of vulnerability and insecurity.
Yusufi believes that the responsibility also lies with San Diegans who are not directly threatened to foster a more welcoming atmosphere for refugees and immigrants.
“We need to combat that noise with community support,” Yusufi suggested, stressing the importance of embracing Afghan-Americans and affirming that their presence enriches the region.
“Immigrants are feeling attacked,” she remarked.
This pervasive anxiety can deter individuals from participating in cultural events, diminishing opportunities for connection and belonging.
Yusufi urged local citizens to engage with Afghan refugees, stating, “How do we reach out to each other and make people feel safe and at home?”
The collective action of the broader community could offer a powerful counter-narrative to the fear-based rhetoric dominating conversations around immigration.
Creating spaces for dialogue, understanding, and shared experiences among diverse populations in San Diego remains crucial in these times of rising tension and fear in immigrant neighborhoods.
Ultimately, it is through unity and a commitment to building supportive frameworks that local residents can ensure that Afghan-Americans and other vulnerable populations thrive instead of merely surviving in their new home.
image source from：https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2025/06/05/san-diego-afghan-community-fearful-trump-administration-changes/
