Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Special Immigrant Visa candidate Abdul Rashid Shirzad poses with his family, Ali Omid, 8, (left), Ali Akbar, 7, and his wife Nargis, holding their youngest child Ali Abbas, 2, at their home July 1st, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Shirzad’s application for a Special Immigrant Visa to the U.S. was denied without any explanation after years of service to the U.S. military. Thousands of Afghans who worked for the United States government during its nearly 20-year war here now fear for their safety as the Taliban takes over the government.