The Biden administration’s renewed efforts to assist left-behind Afghan allies were meant to take effect on Saturday. However, Afghans with Priority-1 and Priority-2 referrals to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, or USRAP, are still left in the dark about stalled referral processing.

Just days before alleged changes were set to commence, the State Department offered no concrete responses to my questions about when processing will begin or how long it should last. Applicants who shared their stories with me on condition of anonymity told of severe hardships resulting from the administration’s lack of action.