A refugee family arrives at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (KRM).
The recent shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in Washington, D.C., has many Afghans in Kentucky on edge. The alleged shooter is an Afghan national who came to the U.S. after Afghanistan’s government collapsed in 2021. Thousands of Afghans who assisted the U.S. military were brought here for safety as the Taliban returned to power.
With recent changes in immigration policy and the shooting, many fear they will be unfairly judged and face backlash.
John Koehlinger, Executive Director of Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc., said he has heard from many Afghans across the state.
“A lot of fear, a lot of fear. The fear when there’s a shooting, and Muslim immigrants or refugees or other immigrants are thinking, ‘Please, God, don’t let it be a crime that people can brand us as responsible for.’ These people have been the victims of extremism,” he said.
He noted that asylum seekers must meet a high standard.
“You have to provide voluminous evidence and go to an asylum office for a lengthy interview for hours, and really prove you cannot return to your country of origin without facing a lethal threat, which the Afghans were legitimately able to do,” he said.
Koehlinger said many Afghans in Kentucky now worry they could lose their status in the U.S.
He also emphasized the many success stories among refugees who have made Kentucky their home, noting that many young Afghans excel in college and secure jobs in local communities.
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