Afghan Christian faith leader urges Trump to protect his flock from the Taliban
As the Trump administration moves to end protections for thousands of Afghan nationals, concerns are mounting over the potential deportation of Christian converts who face severe persecution under Taliban rule. Pastor Behnam Rasooli, also known as Pastor Ben, leads the Oklahoma Khorasan Church in Oklahoma City, a congregation primarily made up of Afghan Christian refugees. In an interview with Fox News Digital, he shared chilling accounts of the dangers he says his Christian community faces if they are deported back to Afghanistan.
Pastor Ben stated, “If any of these Afghan Christians are deported back to Afghanistan, the husbands will be killed, and the wives will be taken as sex slaves. If they are not killed, they will be put in prison and beaten every single night.” The Department of Homeland Security has officially ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals, potentially forcing over 9,000 individuals to return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
Secretary Kristi Noem of the Department of Homeland Security cited an “improved security situation” and a stabilizing economy as the justification for ending TPS for Afghan nationals. However, Pastor Ben and other advocates argue that the termination of TPS puts Afghan Christians at risk of grave danger.
Many members of Pastor Ben’s congregation undertook perilous journeys to reach the U.S. legally, including a group that traveled from Brazil to Mexico, waiting ten months in a Mexican church sanctuary for approval to cross the border legally. Despite their efforts to come to the U.S. with legal status, they are now facing the threat of deportation.
Advocacy groups, including Help The Persecuted, have petitioned Secretary Noem to recognize Afghanistan as a Country of Particular Concern and to allow Afghan Christians and minorities facing persecution due to their religion to have TPS while their asylum claims are properly vetted and processed. The Taliban actively persecutes Christians, including arrests at border crossings, torture in detention, and enforcing laws that make any practice of Christianity illegal.
Pastor Ben urges fellow Christians to stand in solidarity with their persecuted brothers and sisters. He addresses President Trump directly, stating, “Mr. President, I fully support your deportation plan because we do not want criminals to live in the United States, but we must be aware that among those you want to deport, some are not criminals. Some are at risk of being killed, imprisoned, or losing their families.”
He pleads, “Please, let’s not let this happen to them. Let’s keep the American Dream alive.” It is crucial for the church to be a voice for those who are facing persecution and danger. The situation of Afghan Christians underscores the need for compassion and protection for those who are at risk of harm if they are deported back to Afghanistan.
