This is the second installment in a Washington Examiner series detailing the struggles of Afghan activists and allies affected by the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The State Department’s special immigrant visa promised safety to Afghans who worked alongside the U.S. military. But multiple thousands of SIV candidates likely remain stuck in Afghanistan. The Afghans who shared their stories below are navigating the early stages of the overloaded SIV program. They’re doing so from safe houses, motivated by valid fears of a gruesome death if the Taliban find them. For their safety, all have been given false names.