Travel ban might shut the door for Afghan family to bring niece to U.S.

Nuriya Sharafoddin with her husband, Mohammad Sharafoddin, at their home in Irmo, South Carolina.
| Photo Credit: AP

Mohammad Sharafoddin, his wife and young son walked at times for 36 hours in a row over mountain passes as they left Afghanistan as refugees to end up less than a decade later talking about their journey on a plush love seat in the family’s three-bedroom suburban American home.

He and his wife dreamed of bringing their niece to the U.S. Maybe she could study to become a doctor and can have a better life.

But that door slams shut on Monday as America put in place a travel ban for people from Afghanistan and a dozen other countries.

“It’s kind of shock for us when we hear about Afghanistan, especially right now for ladies who are affected more than others with the new government,” Mohammad Sharafoddin said, referring to the country’s Taliban rulers.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, as the Western forces were in the final phase of their withdrawal from the country, they have barred education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment and many public spaces.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed the travel ban on Wednesday. It is similar to one in place during his first administration but covers more countries.

He said visitors who overstay visas, such as the man charged in an attack in Boulder, Colorado, earlier this month, are a danger to the country.

The ban makes exceptions for people from Afghanistan on Special Immigrant Visas who generally worked most closely with the U.S. government during the two-decade war there.