Did you know that to seek asylum in the United States you must be in the country? While refugees attain their status outside of the U.S., asylum seekers like our Haitian neighbors are required to enter the country in order to apply for asylee status. Just like refugees, asylum seekers are fleeing persecution or have a “well-founded fear of persecution” but they are not guaranteed safe haven in the U.S.
Haiti is currently in the midst of a wave of violence and a deep political crisis, exacerbated by countries like the U.S. At the same time, the Trump administration has opted to nullify the Temporary Protected Status for Haitian refugees. This status, renewed by the Biden administration, protected over half a million Haitians. When it ends in August, those refugees face the potential of deportation.
In the case of our Afghan neighbors, U.S. interventions over the past 40 years have led to the entrenchment of the Taliban. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by U.S. military forces left the Taliban in power, despite their attempted surrender all the way back in November of 2001. Thanks to the egotistical actions of the U.S., millions of Afghans have been forced to flee their home country. Though initially promised welcome in the U.S., the new administration is hanging them out to dry.
As ICE continues to terrorize immigrants and POC across the country regardless of status, there is safety in numbers and knowledge. Exodus Refugee has created two new Know Your Rights videos: one in Haitian Creole and another in Pashto, one of many Afghan languages. Share these videos and familiarize yourself with the Know Your Rights basics. Only we keep us safe!
Haitian Creole
Pashto
Featured image: A protestor holds a sign reading “Fight ignorance, not immigrants” at a 2025 protest in support of immigrants in Indianapolis. Credit: Indianapolis Liberation Center