Special Immigrant Visa Holders Still Face Questioning Upon Reaching U.S.

Joel Rose, Morning Edition, NPR, Mar. 27, 2017 - "As an economist, Hussein Mahrammi helped U.S. development authorities in Kabul, Afghanistan rebuild his war-torn country. He planned to stay in Afghanistan. Then, one by one, his colleagues were assaulted and even killed because they worked with Americans. "We really feel afraid," Mahrammi says. So Mahrammi applied for a Special Immigrant Visa, or SIV. It was created specifically for people who worked with the U.S. government or contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan, at great risk to themselves. In return, they were promised green cards, though some did not get the warm welcome they expected. Immigrant rights advocates say these visa holders have been detained and threatened with deportation since President Donald Trump took office. "I was expecting or dreaming that they welcome in a way," Mahrammi says, "maybe through some separate line, offering us tea, and welcome us. But it was not like that." Needless to say, Mahrammi was not offered tea when he landed with his wife and four young sons at Dulles International Airport in Virginia earlier this month. Officers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection pulled Mahrammi aside. The officers started asking a lot of questions. Finally, after five hours, Mahrammi and his family were allowed in. But his case could have gone very differently."