ROCKLIN, Calif. — While Sacramento is home to about 10,000 Afghans with special immigrant visas, the largest population in California, some families are still sorting out how to get their loved ones out of Afghanistan. A Rocklin man, who chose to speak with ABC10 anonymously in fearing for his family's safety, believes his loved ones are in danger.
"On ninth of August, I was at work. I opened my cell phone, and I saw Talibans are running around the city, that I remember growing up there," explained the 26 year old Rocklin resident. "At that time, I broke."
He said he immediately knew his nine family members were in danger, but being in a town outside Kabul, they were unable to get to the airport to leave the country.
"My family is still on the run, and they are hiding," he explained. "I’m not able to talk to them. I feel horrible every single moment that is passing by."
He said his mother, father, three brothers, wife and several extended family members were in hiding at a friends' home. He said their ties to him, an American family member, made them especially vulnerable to being taken by the Taliban.
"These Talibans portray themselves as the people who changed, but they did not change," he said.
He spoke about his parents and their lives before the Taliban took over the country. His mother was a school teacher and activist, and his father worked in the medical field.
"My father owns a clinic. He has enough money to survive, but now, he has no access to any of these things," he said.
He explained that the borders around Afghanistan had been closed, blocking incoming food transport. Afghans also had limited access to their bank accounts.
"The food is not coming in. The money is not there," the man explained. "This is a disaster."
He had also gotten married at the end of 2020. He said his wife's visa was on the brink of getting approved in August, then the government collapsed, shutting down the process.
He said he wanted people to know life was changing by the second for those in Afghanistan and that their attention was needed.
"In one minute, the whole world closed their eyes on 38 million people," he said.
For the last month, he had been making calls to congressmembers, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and lawyers, trying to gain Humanitarian Parole for his family. His applications had been delayed, and he said he grew more anxious by the day.
He said speaking with ABC10 was his last resort to get his message out and receive the help he needed.
"I’m hoping somebody from USCIS, somebody in the government, somebody who has the ability, hears this voice and look into these applications," the man explained. "I want them to do this before it is too late. It’s already late."
The decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan had been controversial. Supporters said the U.S. accomplished its mission and the war was unwinnable, but critics said the U.S. was ignoring the human rights concerns they left behind.
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