Task Force Argo

08/27/2026

Remember them always, the Kabul 13. May they rest in peace along with the 170 Afghans who died at the HKIA Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021.

Say their names.

-Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31, of Salt Lake City, Utah
-Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tennessee
-Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts
-Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23, of Sacramento, California
-Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, California
-Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23, of Omaha, Nebraska
-Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22, of Logansport, Indiana
-Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Texas
-Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20, of St. Charles, Missouri
-Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20, of Jackson, Wyoming
-Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, California
-Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, California
-Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio

08/24/2026

From 2007 until 2013, Nesar Ahmad stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder with U.S. service members as an interpreter in Afghanistan, translating far more than language. He translated trust, courage, and humanity in moments when every word mattered.

Today, he’s sharing his story in a powerful new book that captures the sacrifice, danger, and hope that defined his service. It’s a deeply personal account of what it means to risk everything for the promise of freedom and what it means to rebuild a life in a new country with that same strength and integrity.

His journey is one our communities should know, honor, and uplift. Nesar's journey is like so many other Afghan interpreters. The ones who risked their lives in ways that were constant, personal, and uniquely dangerous.

We are proud to support our brother - his voice, his story, and the truth he’s bringing forward. This book is a testament to resilience, loyalty, and the bonds that endure long after the battlefield.

Nesar has been an invaluable Task Force Argo volunteer since 2021. Thank you for all of your contributions in helping those left behind and for your many years of service during the war in Afghanistan. Our shared work does not stop. Too many are still left behind.

The Terp: A Life Between Languages and Loyalties
Find it on Amazon: https://a.co/d/04egicSz

A passage:
"And somewhere in that valley, men were organizing specifically to kill me. The irony did not escape me. I was not a platoon leader. I did not command troops. I did not control heavy weapons. I was an interpreter. Yet the knowledge I carried and the ability to understand nuance, tribal politics, religious framing, and insurgent logic had made me effective enough to threaten their narrative control. In insurgency, control is not just territorial. It is psychological." ~Nesar Ahmad

The Terp: A Life between Languages, and Loyalties

07/05/2026

Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of ordinary people made an extraordinary choice. To risk everything so that freedom belongs to all.

As we mark America’s semiquincentennial, we honor every generation of America's children that carried that promise forward: soldiers, families, public servants, and citizens who kept building a nation striving toward its ideals.

Happy 250th Independence Day! May we continue the work of forming a more perfect union. Freedom is not inherited; it is defended.

06/16/2026

Some people show up when the stakes are high and the pressure is real. Daniel Elkins was one of those people for Task Force Argo long before anyone else was willing to stand with us. Today, this Green Beret and his family are facing a battle no one prepares for. His wife, Lauren, is battling glioblastoma, a grade 4 brain cancer, the most aggressive there is. It is considered terminal, with most prognoses measured in 1–5 years. If you’re able, please consider supporting them. They deserve every bit of strength and community we can offer.

All Lauren Ever Wanted Was to Be Sloan's Mom. Sloan is twenty-two months old. She weighs about thirty pounds now. For the next six months, her mother is not allowed to pick her up.

06/10/2026

Many are asking why their employment authorization is delayed. We are sharing a glimpse of what is happening.

Public Law 119-21 "One Big Beautiful Bill" was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This law authorized fee collections, mandated new fees, changed spending authority, and directed USCIS to expand or modify operations. USCIS is not funded through congressional appropriations. USCIS is a fee-funded agency. Public Law 119-21 directly increases USCIS revenue.

Additionally, Public Law 119-21 addresses the bottleneck in the DHS security for the comprehensive re-review, potential interview, and re-interview of all aliens from high-risk countries of concern who entered the United States on or after January 20, 2021 as triggered by the 2025 Presidential Proclamations and Executive Orders.

The comprehensive re-review USCIS implementation of Public Law 119-21 "Hold and Review of USCIS Benefit Applications Filed by Aliens from Additional High-Risk Countries," can be found here:
https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/policy-alerts/PM-602-0194-PendingApplicationsAdditionalHighRiskCountries-20260101.pdf

Afghan cases take longer because of the required security checks. As depicted in the image, Congress funded more staff in 2025, and processing should improve later in 2026 and become much faster in 2027.

An expedite request for an employment authorization document may be submitted through your Member of Congress to USCIS when there is clear, documented, and time‑sensitive hardship that places the individual or their family at risk. In these situations, congressional offices can ask USCIS to review the application more quickly due to the serious humanitarian impact of continued delay. While this support can help elevate the urgency of the case, the outcome remains at USCIS’s discretion and cannot be guaranteed. More information on expedite requests can be found here: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/expedite-requests

05/25/2026

Today we remember our American Heroes who never came home.

05/22/2026

‼️Please review this if you are a green card applicant. USCIS Policy Memorandum dtd May 21, 2026

Titles: Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief that Permits Applicants to Dispense with the Ordinary Consular Visa Process

“…While aliens who were inspected and admitted or paroled may request adjustment of status, as a general matter the discretionary approval of such a request is extraordinary given
Congress’s intent that aliens should depart once the purpose for which they sought parole or nonimmigrant admission from DHS has been accomplished…”

Please consult an immigration attorney if you are pending an adjustment of status.

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/PM-602-0199-AdjustmentOfStatusAndDiscretion-20260521.pdf

05/20/2026

Social media is asking for us to make a "Bike To Work Day" post. Nah. We'd rather stand with our Afghan allies.

Yeah… we know it’s rough as h3ll right now.

Nothing about this moment is clean or easy, and anyone who’s been downrange can feel it in their gut. To our Afghan brothers and sisters, our allies who had our backs when it counted, we see what you’re going through. We know what it’s like when everything feels stacked against you and the silence gets loud.

We’re still here. Still paying attention. Still in this with you. When we have updates, you will see them here.

FYI, we are an all-volunteer effort and here we are 1,723 days later. If you can, please support our work by donating through one of the many different ways found on our website: https://www.taskforceargo.org/donate

All of our work is listed throughout our website, but feel free to sign up for our newsletter here: https://www.taskforceargo.org/contact-us

You can even email us at [email protected] and we will share what we know with you, come speak at one of your events, or let you know about the families that need your support in the United States and those left behind.

05/19/2026

Do not be misled.

No visas are being issued for Afghan nationals or citizens of other travel‑banned countries at this time. The State Department’s recent SIV report to Congress identified 5,970 SIV numbers reserved for future principal applicants. However, unless a National Interest Exemption is granted, every completed visa interview will result in an automatic denial under the 2025 presidential proclamations that mandate refusal of entry and visa issuance.

Please consult an immigration lawyer if you require more information on a National Interest Exemption.

State Department Report:https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Report-An-Update-to-the-Status-of-the-Afghan-Special-Immigrant-Visa-Program-007276-HRC1390.pdf

Presidential Proclamation: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/12/restricting-and-limiting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states/

05/11/2026