Community organizations and faith leaders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area held a press conference to denounce what they describe as aggressive targeting of Afghan refugee communities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the Trump administration, revealing that refugees are now too frightened to speak publicly about their experiences. Members of DFW Refugee Outreach Services, the Muslim American Society Dallas chapter, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Guardians Foundation gathered to condemn the actions and issue an urgent call to action, emphasizing that Afghan refugees who followed legal pathways to the United States now face mounting threats to their safety, employment, and family security.
The press conference took a somber turn when organizers revealed that every Afghan refugee invited to speak had declined out of fear of retaliation—a stark illustration of the climate of intimidation described by advocates. Community leaders stressed that, contrary to anti-refugee rhetoric, these individuals sacrificed to help others and deserve protection under American laws guaranteeing due process and civil liberties. The gathering highlighted what speakers characterized as a “war of information” fueled by misinformation about refugee communities, calling on the public to engage directly with refugees and demand accountability from elected officials.
