Austinites trying to bring over their families stuck in Afghanistan
AUSTIN, Texas - The Refugee Services of Texas says the state of Texas has welcomed 75 Afghan refugees with Austin taking in 35 of them. Austin still expects to take in 39 more refugees.
However, there are still some people who have families stuck in Afghanistan with no answers as to how to get them out.
"I have been living in America since 2014 and I am very happy, very glad being here. People are amazing, very friendly," said a former Afghan interpreter.
For this former Afghan interpreter, becoming a US citizen has been a dream come true, a dream that has been short lived. "I'm not going to give up until my family is here," he said
This man has chosen to keep his identity a secret to protect his family who are currently stuck in Afghanistan trying to come to Austin.
"My wife when she asks me like, ‘Hey, any good news?’ That really hurts me because I don't have anything to tell her. All I can do is tell my family just to wait," he said.
This man says he's been trying for almost a decade to get them out of Afghanistan, but now more than ever because of the Taliban takeover. However, this has proved not to be an easy task.
"I'm not expecting this for my service from the United States government to just leave me like that," he said.
He says his family is scared. They recently spent six days at the Kabul airport without any food or water trying to get out, and even with all their paperwork, his family was told to go home without any explanation.
"Finally they tell them to go home? For what?" he said.
He says he feels like he risked his life as an Afghan interpreter for the U.S. for nothing. "I feel like we're betrayed. I feel that my family is in a very dangerous place at the moment, along with all those other families," he said.
Other families like this woman who also wished to remain anonymous. She’s also trying to get her husband to Austin from Afghanistan.
"My husband is over there. He's being bullied by the Taliban, so I don't know what to do, and I just need some type of help to bring him over here," she said.
She says she’s reached out to anyone she can think of to help, but nothing has worked. She says the thought of losing her husband makes her sick.
"I feel so stressed that I cry every day knowing that his life is in danger. He could die any time. It is so sad that I cannot help him," she said.
She says her husband has tried several times to go to the airport, but with no luck. A story many people are dealing with too, but these two Austinites are not giving up.
"I need help before I lose him. The Taliban could kill him any time and I need help please," she said.
These two anonymous Austinites hope the U.S. government speeds up its process to save their families before it is too late.
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